Blood of Secrets
by Alicia Olivia Mirza
Summary: With a more than twenty-year-old secret revealed many people's life is about to change. Harry gets the chance to grow up with people who love him and to learn magic from the beginning from the very best of Hogwarts. (AU; guardian!McGonagall; mentor!Dumbledore; mentor!Head of Houses; light!smart!good!Harry; no bashing) - Prequel to "Blood of Hogwarts": pre-Hogwarts years
1. Blood relatives

**Note: Every italic word in this chapter is directly taken from _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_ by J. K. Rowling. The missing pieces of the original text are not shown. I wanted to show how the well-known scene differ if there was an AU factor.**

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 **IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE DETAILS OF THE STORY CHECK OUT MY PROFILE PAGE. THOUGH, IT MIGHT CONTAIN SOME SLIGHT SPOILERS.**

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 **–** **CHAPTER 1** **–**

 **Blood relatives**

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 _"_ _Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."_ With the person she has been waiting for arriving and her disguise gone she changed back into her human form.

 _"_ _How did you know it was me?" she asked_ quite curiously, though this was Albus Dumbledore she was speaking to, the greatest wizard of the century and also her mentor. It was him after all, who helped her master this ability. It shouldn't have surprised her that even after so many years he could still recognize her animagus form easily.

 _"_ _My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."_ That and he probably recognized the marking around her eyes, she decided.

 _"_ _You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall._ Now that she said that, she was curious what he has been doing all day. Just this morning he left Hogwarts without a word and he told her and the rest of the staff that all lessons were cancelled – something that has never happened since she started teaching.

 _"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here." Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily._ What did he even mean by that? Surely, he could have just Apparated even if this was a Muggle neighbourhood. However, that wasn't what made her angry – no, she was used to Albus being far from direct or saying hazy things. She was angry because of what others have been doing. If everything she has heard was true she wanted to cry and not celebrate.

 _"_ _Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."_ She didn't mean all that, not really. Dedalus was a nice fellow – a bit overexcited surely, but a good man. However, she needed a way to get it all out of her system. She could hardly care less about the Statue of Secrecy than at that moment, but it was better to be angry about something so small than to focus on what mattered. She was not ready for that.

 _"_ _You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."_ Of course she knew that. It wasn't like she didn't take active part in the war while she tried to keep up normality at the school to shield the young of the brutality of what was going on.

 _"_ _I know that,_ _"_ _said Professor McGonagall irritably._ _"_ _But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours._ _"_ _She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on._ She needed to know the truth. She had to know what was real and what wasn't. With so many wizards and witches gossiping she couldn't know. " _A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"_ Well, if he was playing then so would she. While she respected Albus and loved him as a friend and mentor, he could irritate her to no end. He knew exactly – well, not exactly, but that wasn't the point – why she was there, why she has been sitting there all day and yet, he pretended to be absolutely clueless.

 _"_ _It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"_

 _"_ _A what?"_

 _"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."_ Of course she didn't want to taste some Muggle candy at that moment. Dumbledore was supposed to be the wisest of all and yet, he behaved like a child who didn't know what was going on half of the time. She supposed it was a good tactic, pretend to be less than you are, but she wasn't his enemy. (Though, if he kept this laughable conversation up and didn't tell her everything he knew she might just change her mind.)

 _"_ _No, thank you,"_ she answered coldly _. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone –"_

 _"_ _My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You- Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort."_ She _flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice._

 _"_ _It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."_

 _"_ _I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."_ Yes, the exact reason why she has been pretending to be a cat all day – which was a lot more tiring than one would expect. He was the only one she trusted to know the truth. Hell, he always seemed to know everything. She needed to know what was going on and some rumours wouldn't do. She wanted him to say that only bits were right, that You-Know-Who was gone, but the Potters didn't die. They couldn't have...

 _"_ _You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."_ Again, he was pretending to be worse than he was. Nice tactic, Albus, she had to admit. However, if she wanted the truth she had to emphasize that she knew his abilities and that she trusted them.

 _"_ _Only because you're too -well -noble to use them."_

 _"_ _It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."_ That wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. So, another approach then.

 _Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumours that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"_ Great, it didn't seem to work. Albus was once again focusing on his Muggle candies and didn't answer her. _"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead."_ She could hardly say those words. But they were just stories, they couldn't have been right, could they? Still, saying the name 'Lily' and the word 'dead' in the same sentence felt awfully wrong.

 _Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped._ No, she must have worded it wrongly, he must have misunderstood her. _"Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus..." Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder._ It was hardly enough – not that he could know, he thought that she just lost two of her favourite students, but it was much worse than that. However, it wasn't the moment to break down. She had to know what was true from all those stories about Harry. If he was alive and defeated You-Know-Who then she had to be there for him, which was what Lily would have wanted. She had to be strong for him.

 _"_ _I know... I know..." he said heavily. Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on._ She had to continue it no matter how hard it was to even form a coherent sentence and not just cry for hours until no more tears were left. _"That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But - he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone." Dumbledore nodded glumly. "It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"_ Harry. Harry was alive. He was alive. Lily's little boy was alright and breathing.

 _"_ _We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."_ She was sure that he at least had some theories – he was after all Albus Dumbledore and it was a universal rule that he always knew everything. However, she was just too damn tired and exhausted emotionally to start a quarrel with him. She knew that there would be more to come – she knew Albus and she also undesrtood that she would have to tell him everything. She would need him on her side and knowing him he had some plans for the future of that little boy already.

 _Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles._ Now that she knew that Harry was alright (if she didn't count losing his parents and being targeted by an evil megalomaniac and defeating the aforementioned lunatic) she has lost her control. Lily. Lily was dead. Her little boy was an orphan.

 _"_ _Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"_ Well, he didn't react to any form of her trying to make contact – no response to the owls, not finding him anywhere, no answer to her patronus message – so, she was desperate. After running away like that was he surprised that she needed to find a way to contact him? Especially after everything that has been said that day.

 _"_ _Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"_ She had a very good idea, especially now that she knew that Harry was alive, but she didn't like it one bit. If everything turned out as she feared she would have to tell him her most guarded secret as well - one that she has never shared with anyone before.

 _"_ _I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."_ Of course she was right, but the Ravenclaw part in her didn't gloat. No, she wanted to be wrong this one time.

 _"_ _You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four._

 _"_ _Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son-I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"_ No, not Harry Potter. Lily's baby boy – he couldn't live with people like the Dursley family. She knew enough about the relationship between Lily and her sister to know that it wasn't a good idea.

 _"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."_

 _"_ _A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!"_ It was only part of her problem of course, but she would have to tell him everything for the rest to make sense and she wasn't sure that she was ready at that exact moment. She has been keeping this secret for twenty-one years – it wasn't something she could just share over some lemon drops. Maybe in a few days or weeks when she was a bit emotionally more stable.

 _"_ _Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"_ He was of course right in that part. She remembered James Potter, the sole heir of the wealthy pureblood family all too well when he arrived to school. But James turned out more than alright and Harry was half Lily as well. Also, she didn't mean to place Harry with people like the Malfoys, but more along the line of the Weasleys or the Longbottoms. Not to mention that no one would even have to know who he was. They could always say that Harry was in the Muggle world.

 _Professor McGonagall opened her mouth,_ "I still don't think that this is the right way to handle the situation. Weren't you the one to tell me that Lily's sister has written to you? That she wanted to attend Hogwarts? Maybe you don't know, but I have found Lily not once in tears with letters from home telling her that her sister hated her because she was a witch," she stated firmly. If this whole situation wasn't such a personal matter to her she probably would have agreed with Dumbledore - Petunia Dursley was after all little Harry's aunt. Dumbledore studied her with those unnerving blue eyes and he seemed somewhat surprised that she was not agreeing with her.

"I am afraid, Minerva, that this is the only possible solution," he stated and she looked outrageous. She had at least a dozen ideas, so why would it be the only solution?

"What about James Potter's friends? What about the Longbottoms? Isn't Alice Harry's godmother? The Weasleys? The Diggorys? Or any other respectable and unquestionable family who has been never associated with You-Know-Who and have children around Harry's age? A few well-placed wards are the only thing needed and to make sure that the family understands that Harry has to keep a low profile at least until Hogwarts," she ranted. A shadow crossed Dumbledore's face and at that moment she understood that she was still missing some important pieces of information. "Why? Albus, why?" she asked softly. He casted a wandless spell to ensure their privacy.

"Lily died protecting Harry. Probably without even knowing she tapped into the oldest magic, love. Her sacrifice shielded him from Voldemort. If I am right that's the reason why young Harry survived the previous night. Harry needs to stay with Lily's blood relatives for the magic to continue to guard him," he stated and her head started seriously throbbing. Lily's blood relatives. From morning when she first heard the rumours the idea never once crossed her mind, but now it seemed as the only possibility to ensure Harry's safety.

"If blood relatives are needed than the Dursleys are not the solution, they wouldn't do," she stated softly, but he still heard her.

"What are you talking about Minerva?" Sometimes she forgot that even the Great Albus Dumbledore couldn't know everything. Yet, at that moment she wanted him to know without her saying it out loud.

"Lily was adopted," she stated and she saw as he visibly paled, which was something very uncommon for him. She could count on one hand how many times she has seen that happen since she first met him when she was eleven.

"Are you sure? How do you know?" he asked and she nodded softly.

"I was the one to deliver Lily's letter when she was accepted and I was the one who asked for her parents' approval and her papers to make it official. They gave me the usual Muggle documents plus one, the paper of the adoption. Mrs Evans had a hard time delivering Lily's sister and she was told that she wouldn't be able to have more children, so they adopted a baby only a few years younger than their own," she told the easiest part of the tale. Up until now she was just a teacher who did the paperwork.

Albus was clearly troubled, she could read him easily which was a trait not many possessed.

"Well, this certainly complicates matters. We have to raise the wards as soon as possible or the protection fades, but it would only work with blood relatives. So, we have to find Lily's real parents and hope that she still has some close relatives alive," he stated urgently and obviously a bit disappointedly.

"Albus, I think we should sit down somewhere more private. I have some other news for you," she said hesitantly. He looked at her curiously, but he obviously sensed that it was something important, because he didn't stop her.

 _"_ _Hagrid's bringing him,"_ he only answered. Yes, they had to wait for Harry, she understood that. But why Hagrid? Why couldn't just Dumbledore take the baby? Apparating with a baby was surely not the safest, but the Great Dumbledore could have easily found some solution.

 _"_ _You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"_ she questioned him.

 _"_ _I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore._ That wasn't exactly what she meant, but then again, Dumbledore was famous for 'accidentally' misunderstanding something. He was quick and he knew what he wanted to answer and what not. He always knew what to say to have the advantage in a conversation. She supposed in many ways it was surprising that Albus was sorted into Gryffindor and not Slytherin or even Ravenclaw.

 _"_ _I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to -what was that?" A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky -and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them. If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets._

 _"_ _Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"_

 _"_ _Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."_ Black, Minerva was surprised that he wasn't there. Wasn't Harry his godson? And what about Lupin and Pettigrew? Surely, they wouldn't let Dumbledore just take away their precious 'nephew'.

 _"_ _No problems, were there?"_ Anyway, where has been Harry for the last day? So many things didn't add up to Minerva, but now that Hagrid was here with the baby she had to keep her priorities straight. She had to take the baby somewhere safe and tell everything to Dumbledore.

 _"_ _No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol." Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning._

 _"_ _Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall._

 _"_ _Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."_

 _"_ _Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"_

 _"_ _Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well -give him here, Hagrid," Dumbledore took Harry in his arms._ She sensed that there was more to it than he let on, but it wasn't the time for a long conversation about curse scars. The danger grew with every second after all.

 _"_ _Could I -could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog._

 _"_ _Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"_ She understood all too well what Hagrid felt, but Harry's life was in danger. While He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named disappeared his followers were still around and they most certainly would have liked to get their hand on the one who defeated their Lord. So, for Harry's safety they had to keep the whole business in the biggest privacy.

 _"_ _S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it -Lily an' James dead -an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles –"_

 _"Yes, yes, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found._ Also, there has been a change in the plan, so Harry won't be left here _," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm._

 _"_ _Well," said Dumbledore finally, "We've no business staying here._ We have to finish this conversation in private, Minerva. Hagrid let me take care about young Mr. Potter. Don't worry, we will find him a suitable home."

 _"_ _Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir." Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night._

 _"_ You should follow me _, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply._ In the next second she once again turned into a tabby cat. She nodded towards him, and he acknowledged that she was ready to go on their business. The bundles which contained their precious cargo were still in his hands, and with a quick spell he disillusioned the baby. He started walking quickly and she followed in her animagus form not entirely sure where they were going.

 _Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange_.

Minerva wasn't sure how long she has been following Albus when they suddenly stopped in front of a house. What surprised her even more was that Dumbledore opened the door of the house with a series of wand movements and long muttering. The house was obviously warded though for why she wasn't sure. They were in the middle of a very Muggle neighbourhood after all - maybe a magical family with Muggle relatives were hiding here during the war? Albus opened the door for her but signed not to change form.

"Who is there?" Came a slightly familiar voice to Minerva, but not one she recognized. A woman a bit older than her asked, and in her Minerva recognized Arabella Figg. What was she doing here? As far as Minerva remembered she lived in a magical community not caring about the fact that she herself couldn't produce any magic.

"Nice to see you again, Arabella," Albus greeted the woman who flashed him an enthusiastic smile. "I'm sorry to bother you at such a late hour, but I would like to use your Floo," he stated. "It's urgent," he stated.

"What about the thing we have talked earlier?" she asked curiously. Minerva wasn't sure what the other woman meant, but Albus obviously did.

"Things became a bit more complicated, my dear, so tomorrow I will come and tell you everything, I promise. Now I must be on my way," he stated and the woman agreed. Minerva followed the pair to the living room and after the flames turned into a striking green he followed Dumbledore.

"Headmaster's office, Hogwarts." The moment they were in the office she knew as well as her own, she turned back into a human. Dumbledore lingered for a bit longer in the fireplace, but when he joined her, baby Harry was already visible and quite audible. He also performed a series of privacy spells to make sure that no one, not even the portraits heard what they were saying.

"Oh, hush, baby, hush," she said and took the toddler from Albus who looked utterly surprised by the crying baby. She was curious when he had a baby in his hands last. Yes, they dealt with a lot of children daily, but they were all at least eleven-year-old, never a fifteen-months-old.

"So, you have some information for me, Minerva?" he asked softly after gesturing to the chairs on the two sides of his desk. She sat down with Harry still in her hands. He started sleeping again, and she hugged him close to her. How long it has been since he was in her arms?

"You asked me if I know anything about Lily's biological parents. Well, I know," she stated, but she stopped. Dumbledore urged him with high eyebrows.

"And? Would it be possible for Harry to remain with them under the blood ward?" he asked curiously.

"I would hope so, because Lily is - was - my daughter," she stated and Dumbledore straightened. He froze the moment those words left her mouth.

"Lily Potter née Evans was your biological child?" he asked not believing his own ears.

"Yes," she stated firmly. "This baby here is my grandson."

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 **Author's note: I hope you will like my series. The basic concept is what would happen if Harry was comfortable with the professors of Hogwarts, if he has grown up around them? How much different his Hogwarts years would be? Also, he starts learning magic before Hogwarts. Expect lots of McGonagall, Dumbledore, Snape and even Flitwick and Sprout - but don't worry, we will have Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, Draco and the whole lot as well. Just no Dursleys.**


	2. Hidden truth

**Author's note: Thank you for all the follows, favourites and mostly, the reviews. I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story. Also, why Minerva gave up Lily for adoption will of course come up in the story.**

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 **–** **CHAPTER 2** **–**

 **Hidden truth**

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"How?" The Great Albus Dumbledore was speechless. Well, that was something new for Minerva McGonagall, but she had to admit she liked that she was the source of his utter surprise, though she didn't want this conversation at all. If she could, she would remain silent as well.

"Should I give you the speech about birds and bees you make me give every second year in my house year after year?" she asked with sarcasm, which wasn't like her exactly, but she has been around enough Gryffindors in her lifetime to pick up a thing or two, and she had to admit it felt easier this way than being completely serious. Now she understood why her Lions used sarcasm so much. On the other hand Albus didn't seem impressed by her comment, though it made complete sense. Really, how did one have a child?

"You know exactly well Minerva what I meant," he stated and she sighed. She was no Dumbledore, she was not good in his mind games and he was right. They had so many things to discuss.

"You know close to everything about me, Albus. I'm sure you can add two and two together," she simply said. Dumbledore wasn't just a mentor to her, but one of her closest friend. They were quite alike in many ways, she supposed, so it shouldn't have been a surprise, and he always seemed to have an insight on any topic, so going to him with her troubles was just simple. She supposed she could pretend that this was just one of those problems, nothing more.

"While I would be very interested in why you choose to give up your child I assume that's a conversation for another time. We need to focus on little Harry now and what this turn of events would mean to him," Dumbledore stated swiftly. She took a deep breath, well, at least she didn't have to talk about her deepest and most personal feelings as of yet. She knew that Albus would want to know everything – he always wanted to – but she had at least some time to consider what she would tell him. For now Harry was their first priority and not her broken heart, sad past or questionable decisions.

"Are you a hundred percent sure that Lily was in fact the child you have given up?" he started the questioning.

"The adoption was nameless, I asked not to know where the baby would go and that no one would know that she was mine originally. Also, it was Muggle. However, I knew that the chances that the baby won't inherit my magic was small, so I kept tabs on the flying years and in 1971 when the child was eleven I made sure to check every girl who was admitted, especially the Muggle-borns. The part about Lily being adopted and getting the papers were true. I knew then, and then... She reminded so much of me in school, Albus, I knew. But once I met her, I had to know, so without her knowledge I checked for her paternity," she told the whole story in one. Dumbledore was watching her with those intense blue eyes of his, but at least they lacked any form of judgement.

"So, there is no question in whatever Harry Potter is related to you or not," he said, but there was still some questioning and doubt in his tone.

"If I was saying that I'm James Potter's mother there could be some doubt of course, there can always be with the father, but we both know that Harry wasn't adopted, so Lily had to be his mother. So, no, there can't be a question," she stated firmly. It was so simply, yet, so hard at the same time. While the toddler was sleeping soundless in her arms, all cuddly, warm and small, her heart was swelling with the love and pride of a grandmother, but she knew where this conversation was going and she felt so doubtful.

"We both know that you are a very bright woman, Minerva. I have no doubt that you know what Harry's ancestry means. As you said with Petunia Dursley not being Harry's aunt by blood she can't keep him protected by the Bond of Blood. James Potter's parents died before he finished school. He was an only child. He only has some distant cousins left. Also, probably the magic would only work with Lily's relatives - it was her sacrifice after all. What about Lily's biological father?" he questioned her.

"A Muggle, one you have heard of. He is still alive, but he knows nothing of the magical world, of Lily or Harry and he has moved on. He has his own family," she stated without any emotion. Yes, facts were easier than emotions, she decided. Dumbledore studied her for a long moment.

"Would he raise Harry if he was told of the situation?" he asked. She stiffened; she was not ready to talk about him.

"He is a good man, but very Muggle. I'm not sure how he would take to receiving an unknown grandson with murdered parents and magical heredity. While he would do his duty most likely, I don't believe that his new family would be very happy with Harry or that they could ever understand him and his world." He was a good man, but she didn't know anything about his family. She knew that he married the daughter of another farmer and that they lived a completely Muggle life not knowing anything about the wizarding world, but that was all.

"I still find that being raised in the Muggle world might do some good to Harry. We both know that he would come to Hogwarts and live the life of a wizard on long-term, but it might give a bit of an insight if he knew the Muggle ways as well," Dumbledore told her, but she just raised her eyebrows.

"You want the child who defeated You-Know-Who to grow up without knowing anything about his world? Do you want Harry in ten years to ask what Muggle means? I understand if you want him to grow up without the burden of fame, but surely, we could keep him safe from not only the Death Eaters, but from reporters and fanatics as well. Growing up in a magical home wouldn't mean that he turns out as a blood purist," she pointed out. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and he was obviously thinking. She was curious if her reasoning was enough, but once his eyes settled on her she knew that the quarrel was far from over.

"What about your brothers? The younger one married a Muggle, didn't he?" he asked and she sighed. It wasn't like she wanted to raise him before the problem of blood wards came up – she hardly ever held a baby in her arms let alone raised one, but now that she knew that her family's blood was needed, she felt that it was her task alone. Where the sudden urge came from she wasn't sure, but somehow the idea of giving her grandson to one of her brothers' family felt utterly wrong, even though she loved her brothers and all her nephews and nieces.

"They are what, his great-uncles? I'm pretty sure that a bit closer relation is needed for the protection charm to work well," she stated, though she wasn't entirely sure. Sacrificial protection was far from her field of magic after all, but it did seem logical. Dumbledore studied her for another long moment.

"Do you have a better idea, Minerva?" he asked softly, but his tone suggested that he knew exactly well what was going on in her mind. Not that he wasn't a great Legilimens, but she knew enough Occlumency that she would have felt him breaking her mental shield. No, Albus Dumbledore simply knew her well enough.

"It's the most logical step to take, isn't it?" she simply asked not even bothering to tell her exact plan – this was her closest friend and mentor. Dumbledore was silent for a long time, though maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her. How she wished at that moment that she was an accomplished Legilimens and that Dumbledore wasn't as good in Occlumency as he seemed to be in every field of magic.

"And how do you suppose that would work?" His tone lacked any emotion, which was kind of strange when it came to him as he was the type to find amusement in everything and he seemed to see the world in a different light than any other. She was hesitant to answer, because she knew that one bad reply would mean that she likely couldn't even see her grandson for the next ten years.

"Well, I must tell you that I don't know much about sacrificial protection, so you should first enlighten me what is needed besides my obvious blood relation to Harry," she said with a hint of sarcasm, which became her shield that night. As much as she liked and respected Dumbledore, she understood that he was playing a dangerous game – with her grandson, no less.

"I need the blood relation to willingly take the protected in their house," he started and she just looked at him.

"I think we have that," she stated and she ran her right index finger through the unruly dark baby hair. Harry stirred for a moment, but he was back to sleeping a second later.

"I need a home to place the charm. Hogwarts wouldn't do it, because of its complicated network of protection wards. We both know that the castle is practically alive," he stated and her heart sunk at that. She was a professor; she lived in the castle pretty much all-year-around.

"I have my flat in London – I haven't given it up after I've started working here," she emphasized. The answer didn't seem to satisfy Dumbledore though.

"I want Harry out of the way. Why I agree that in Muggle London the chance that Harry is found by Death Eaters is small, but with the Ministry there, there are still too many magical beings running around," he stated firmly. The funny thing was that Minerva was the boy's grandmother and yet, she knew well that whatever Dumbledore wanted would happen. Not that she really cared as long as he wanted to protect the boy – she trusted him that he would want the best for the child who seemed to stop one of the darkest wizards to ever live before his second birthday.

"I don't have any other houses, I didn't need any after becoming a professor," she pointed out. She hardly ever used that one. During the summer when she left Hogwarts she mainly stayed with her family in Scotland.

"The house doesn't need to be on your name or be yours officially as far as I am concerned. The same way young Harry have to grow up calling it home, you have to as well," he stated, and she swallowed. She wasn't sure where he was going with that, though she could see herself calling any places home as long the baby in her arms was there and it was for his protection.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked curiously. For a moment he didn't answer and she feared that he wasn't going to at all.

"My cottage. It's out of everyone's way, it's already well-protected and hardly anyone knows about it and very close to Hogwarts," he stated and she felt herself straighten. So this was the game was playing.

"What plans do you have for my fifteen-month-old grandson?" she asked with her anger rising. She suspected the moment she found out that Dumbledore planned to place Harry that he had ideas of how Harry had to be raised and that he already made plans about the boy's future, but this made it all too real.

"I'm not sure what you are talking about, my dear. We both know that young Harry is in grave danger. He might have survived Voldemort's attack, but the war isn't over as long as his followers are around. He has to stay undetected as long as possible. Once he comes to Hogwarts it won't be possible of course, but I dearly hope that by then we will live in a peaceful world. All I want is Harry to be safe," he stated simply, but Minerva's lips curled.

"And to trust you, isn't it right, Albus?" she mimicked her innocent look. Dumbledore's expression changed, he seemed to be lost in thought for a moment.

"I must admit, Minerva that I fear that this wasn't the last time we have heard about Voldemort," he said and as always it was hard for her not to flinch. But what he said was a lot more interesting to her than how he phrased it.

"You mean that he hasn't died?" she asked quietly, hoping that she misunderstood him. He chuckled dryly.

"I believe that he was far too gone, not entirely human anymore to simply just die. Or maybe he can do that, but I'm not sure that whatever Lily did was enough for that. I fear that this would be just too easy, not exactly the end of a war one would expect. And if I'm right, if he ever comes back, well, the danger the remaining Death Eaters mean for young Harry would be nothing in contrast of Voldemort. The child in your arms is not an ordinary magical baby; I fear his life will never be ordinary. We have to prepare for the worst," he stated and at that moment she knew that she would go along with any plan he had. He might be a tad bit too manipulative for her liking sometimes, but he obviously knew what he was talking about. If Harry had a chance to see his own grandchildren grow up than it was under Albus Dumbledore's protection and guidance.

"Then, your cottage isn't it?" she asked with a humourless smile.

"My dear Minerva, don't be so sour about the idea. All I'm saying that it would be logical to put up the protection there. I hardly stay there, you know it well, I dare say, there is no finer place than Hogwarts," he said with the usual twinkle in his impossibly blue eyes. She of course knew that; still, it felt somehow wrong to move in his house.

"What about my position?" she asked softly. She truly liked to teach. When she first applied for the job, she only did it, because it felt like a great achievement, a good way to get away from everyone and to get her career moving - after all Hogwarts professors were always respected. However, she quickly realised that she loved teaching and somehow Hogwarts became more than a school or a job to her.

"Well, I don't really see you as a biscuit baking stay at home grandmother," he said with a smile and he obviously relaxed, so did she. She pressed her lips and shook her head. While she decided that from all blood relations she wanted to be Harry's guardian, Albus was right, that wasn't her.

"Why not just keep your job, my dear? I feel that I could hardly find some to replace you. In a few years Harry will be old enough to go to school, he would spend most of his day there. Why not just find someone to look after him during the day until then. I'm not proposing for a nanny to raise him, more along the line of people who love him already," he stated and Minerva felt her stupid. Of course, she was hardly the only people outside of Lily and James who cared for the baby in her laps.

"Lily and James were popular among their folks," she muttered, and Dumbledore nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, indeed. You yourself just pointed out not too long ago that little Harry has godparents and not one self-named uncles," he said. Yes, Alice Longbottom and her husband, Frank. They even had a baby boy just a day older than Harry, Neville he was called. Also, there were James' school friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Most of Lily's closest school friends beside Alice have been killed in the war before her though.

"Neville and Harry could grow up to be great friends," she smiled.

"Also, I believe that some of the trusted families with young children could give young Harry some company and help you with babysitting. You yourself pointed out the Weasleys. I heard that their youngest son is only a few months older than Harry and that they have a daughter a year younger. I have to admit, that while I originally planned a Muggle upbringing for Harry, maybe it wouldn't be bad for him to grow up with you," he stated, though Minerva looked unimpressed.

"Under your influence, right?" she asked with sarcasm, though she had to admit she didn't exactly mind it. Dumbledore looking after Harry meant a protection even stronger than any charm could give him, and he probably just wanted to make sure that Harry wouldn't turn out as the next Dark Lord, one thing she wanted as well.

"Would it be such a bad thing, Minerva?" he asked curiously, but she surprised to see that he didn't seem unfazed by her accusations. Was he hurt? Well, that might have been a strong word, but he did seem to care what she thought about him.

"As long as you promise to protect him then, no, it isn't," she said solemnly. Their eyes met for a brief moment and he nodded.

"Of course I'm going to protect him," he stated. "We have some other problems though. We don't want everyone to know about Harry's placement, because even her mother's protection or my cottage's wards wouldn't be enough," he stated. She was silent for a moment trying to form a coherent plan from all the ideas swarming around in her head.

"You do know that Dorcas Meadowes was my godchild?" she questioned Albus, though she was pretty sure he was aware of the connection as she has been already teaching when Dorcas started Hogwarts and because she was the only Transfiguration teacher, the Headmaster had to be told to prevent favouritism. Plus, as both were part of the Order their relationship was no secret later on either.

"Yes, I'm sorry for your loss, Minerva. She was a talented and driven young woman," Albus stated and she nodded along feeling traitorous tears in her eyes. In only a few weeks she has lost her godchild and now her daughter as well.

"Well, she has been out of sight for about two years now, making contact with only the Order, much like most except us who had to keep doing our job, had done. She could easily have a child during the time, Albus and no one would be wiser. She, herself daughter of a Muggle-born and a Muggle and having a child from let's say another Muggle... It could have been a short relationship, in war time the other way around would have been the surprising, so maybe the father doesn't even know about the baby. Or we could say that he was killed in one of the attacks. In times like ours it wouldn't be a surprise if she was in hiding. We could just modify Harry's look a bit, mainly hide his scar and change his eye colour to a less vibrant green, his hair a bit lighter and voila, no one would know that this is the Harry Potter. It would make sense for me to bring Dorcas' child up with her parents gone and with no close blood relations around," she stated firmly, trying not to fall into self pity. She met Dumbledore's eyes and he seemed to agree with her plan.

"A new identity for young Mr. Potter then. How about a name that could have the nickname Harry? I feel that it would be beneficial for him not be entirely re-named. When he rejoins the magical world as Harry Potter it would be rather hard for him then," he stated and she had to agree. She imagined the poor eleven-year-old being told that from now he was going to be called something else entirely.

"Henry," she said after a moment. She wanted something simply and something which resembled Harry in pronunciation as well, so later it wouldn't be strange for the boy. Dumbledore nodded.

"Should it be Meadowes or McGonagall?" he asked curiously and she hesitated for a moment. To be honest both names felt wrong – he was a Potter after all, but then again in a strange twist of fate he was in a way McGonagall. Plus, she would be his guardian and while she knew that she had to go around saying that he was Dorcas', she didn't want him to grow up with a name that has nothing to do with his own.

"McGonagall. If anyone asks why not Meadowes I will just tell them that Dorcas would want him to see me more than as a guardian," she said with new determination. "But I want him growing up knowing what his real name is; I know that both Lily and James would want him to be a Potter, so I will not keep it from him." Albus agreed to that part of the plan as well.

"I have already checked out his scar. At his aunt's house I wasn't kidding, I'm not able to heal it; it is the result of too dark and strong magic. I've asked Poppy to check it as well and she had the same idea, she stated that Harry would always have the scar, so we will have to disillusion it," he stated. Minerva was surprised but in a positive way that Harry wasn't just shoved to the Dursleys, but that he has been checked before. Now the part of where he has been for the last day made a lot more sense. She was also rather happy that the matron has already seen the baby.

"We shouldn't make too big changes to his appearance, because that would be disturbing for him on long-term. As I said, maybe just lighten his hair to a dark brown and change his eyes to a lighter shade of green?" she proposed. He nodded and both took out their wands at the same time. Albus looked at her with a smile, and gestured to her.

"You could have the honour, Minerva. I know that you are more than capable of doing it," he stated and she looked at him with amusement in her eyes.

"I'm happy that you think I'm capable, Albus, after all it was you who asked me to be the _Transfiguration_ professor."

"And what a good idea that was," he simply stated while she concentrated on the sleeping form of the baby in her laps. Not a minute later but after a series of wand movements the toddler had dark brown locks instead of ink black and when not a second later he opened his eyes, instead of those emerald ones Minerva learned to love over the years, his eyes were a duller shade, not unlike hers.

"Harry Potter. Henry McGonagall," she said with a small frown and stroked the baby's cheeks. "I will always love and protect you, I swear," she promised the toddler.


	3. Stunning betrayal

**Author's note: Thank you for all the follows, favourites and mostly, the reviews - they make my day, you know.**

* * *

 **–** **CHAPTER 3** **–**

 **Stunning betrayal**

* * *

There was much to do, yet neither seemed to want to make the first move. They sat there and watched the toddler who after a strong Disillusionment charm coming from Dumbledore lost his scar as well. Harry happily clapped his small hands when Minerva created some bubbles with an easy flick of her wand.

"More," he asked and of course she made some new appear with another flick just after some popped.

"The charm has to be done soon, but neither of you are needed for that as far as I'm concerned. Though, it might help if you are in the cottage while I'm performing it – just to make sure," he stated softly after long silence.

"Of course," she answered. They depended on Lily's sacrificial protection too much not to make sure that it was efficient. Also, this was her life now – Harry always came first from this moment. Spending some time in that house was surely not the biggest sacrifice she would have to make to assure Harry's protection and well-fare, but most of all, his happiness.

Once again no one said a thing. Too much has happened in too little time. Harry giggled as he caught a bubble only to stop when he realized that the bubble popped in his hands. He was distracted from being sad though when a fresh wave of bubbles left the tip of Minerva's wand and the game started again.

"Minerva, I think only a selected few should know about Harry's real parentage," he stated, which automatically caught her attention, because while she knew that there was a reason why the Meadows story needed to be created she wasn't exactly sure how few he wanted.

"I don't want the Ministry to know at all. I will tell them that Harry is with the Dursleys and that I hid him in the Muggle world of course protected by countless wards. The Minister has been always an intelligent witch, she will understand with all the Death Eaters still around. She also knows that the Potters gave me some rights concerning the well-fare of their son, it's all in their wills," Dumbledore said which surprised her, because she didn't know about that. Though, she guessed that she shouldn't have been surprised. She knew for fact that there was a good reason why the Potters went into hiding and that they were specifically targeted. Maybe they knew that they might not survive while their son did? But there had to more to it – why Dumbledore? Did they know that Harry would be special?

"So, not the Ministry. But what about the Order?" she asked curiously. Also, while the Prewetts were active part of the Order, the Weasleys mostly because of their small children were only sympathizers. Also, while Pomona and Filius would have done everything to ensure Hogwarts' and its students' safety, they never officially joined the Order. And what about all the other professors?

"Only a selected few. We still don't know who the spy –" he stopped and what surprised Minerva even more was that he got up way quicker than it was normal in his age. He abruptly stopped and looked at her and Harry with a very disturbed expression. Did he think that she was the spy? That she just fabricated the story about being Lily's biological mother to get to Harry?

"Albus, you don't think that I -"she started, but she was stopped by shaking his head, but his expression only softened a bit.

"No, of course not Minerva. I hardly trust anyone on the world more than I trust you, I thought you know that. Also, now that I know in many ways I'm not surprised at all – the resemblance between you and Lily is uncanny. She certainly had your temper and intelligence," he said with a half-smile. While it was a great compliment coming from the Albus Dumbledore (except from that bit about the temper, because Lily Potter née Evans was certainly very passionate and fiery) it didn't explain his odd expression just a minute before.

"I know who the spy is," he stated gravely. What surprised Minerva even more was that he called for Fawkes and after writing a quick note he sent the phoenix on its way.

"Who did you write to?" she asked curiously. If it was an Order business he would have sent his patronus most probably. Sending an owl – phoenix really – meant that he must have written to someone from the Ministry. He wanted the communication version of the Patronus charm to stay in their circle after all.

"The Minister," he stated simply, but his eyes lacked the usual twinkles. He sat down again and watched Harry with great interest, who abandoning the bubbles started playing with her robe.

"His godfather is the spy and the traitor," he said. Minerva noted that even with the countless privacy spells he had used, he never mentioned the name. Not that she wasn't fully aware of what the comment meant. Even if she wasn't there when Black was skipping around the Headquarters after being asked, she would have easily guessed. After all James Potter and Sirius Black were like brothers – Fleamont and Euphemia Potter pretty much adopted him as well.

"That-that can't be... He-he is very impulsive and doesn't like rules much, but-but Albus... Have you seen him with James? And Harry? You haven't stopped countless fights between him and now known Death Eaters while in school, but I have... He hates his family and they feel the same way," she expressed her disbelief. Out of every Order member except Albus himself Sirius Black seemed like the least believable spy to her. She was his Head of House; she has spent more time with him than with any of her other students probably because of all the times she had given him detention, not to mention the countless times she had to talk to him because of his troubled family life. Were all those conversations fake? Was he lying every time he expressed how much he resented his family for their views and how much they hated him because his friends were blood traitors, half-bloods or even Muggle-borns?

Dumbledore didn't look in her eyes for a long moment, both of them remained silent. She wasn't sure if he was ever going to answer her. However, she needed to know why he thought that out of everyone it was Black – no, Sirius – who betrayed them all.

"All day long, something bothered me. I had a feeling that I was missing a piece of the puzzle, but my mind was focused on the bigger picture. Trying to find out if Voldemort is really gone, speaking with the Minister, making plans for Harry, doing research on sacrificial magic. But only now did I realize that I missed a crucial point – How? How did Voldemort ever find the Potters?" he questioned her and she had a feeling she knew where he was going. If he was talking about the Fidelius Charm, then none of her arguments would mean anything, then Sirius Black was more like his biological family than she could have ever imagined.

"He was their Secret Keeper," he said in a gravely tone, his head slightly lowered.

"But... but Sirius," she started and Harry automatically looked up at the name.

"Pa'foo'?" he asked happily. "'here?" He looked around as if his godfather was in the room. Padfoot. She remembered the four boys, her Lions calling each other by strange nicknames from which only one ever made sense to her, Moony, the nickname of Remus Lupin - a werewolf.

Before she could even make sense of everything that has been said the fire in the fireplace of the office came to life with shiny green flames dancing around.

"Professor Dumbledore, your letter has reached me, but by now new developments have happened in the case. Please come around to my office as soon as possible," she heard the unmistakeable voice of the Minister, Millicent Bagnold. She turned around to catch her face in the flames, but she made sure that Harry remained unseen.

"I am on my way, Minister," Dumbledore replied and then after a quick nod from the flames, the Minister disappeared and the fireplace deactivated. She looked at her mentor who quickly stood up and looked at her with grave expression.

"My dear, I think I should be going now. I want you to remain here for the next hour; you shouldn't let anyone in, and if I'm not back by then, go to my cottage. The wards there are good enough to keep you safe until I'm able to do the charm. Don't talk to anyone and don't ever lose sight of young Harry," he told her and she nodded. She hugged the toddler closer to herself, which caused Harry to give out a strange noise and then he asked. "Mama?" It nearly broke her heart.

"No, Harry, it's Granny," she said softly.

"G'anny?" he asked and he even tried to turn around to face her. She had a heartbroken smile on her face when the now light green-eyes toddler looked at her and blinked with an innocent expression.

"Yes, Granny," she said. Dumbledore watched the scene with another sad smile, and then he nodded towards them. He called for Fawkes and the moment the beautiful phoenix appeared, he disappeared.

* * *

He has always found the office of Millicent Bagnold to be plain, well-organized and no-nonsense – just like the woman herself. However, at that moment it was nothing like that. At least countless Ministry memos were flying around, all trying to reach the person first behind the desk which was full of heaps of papers, all towers slightly crooked; only held together by magic. The Minister herself – who always reminded him of Minerva with her perfect dark bun, strict expression and squared glasses – was more dishevelled than he has ever seen her, even though he has known her since she was eleven and as a particularly talented student, prefect and Head Girl, he hadn't only seen her on the corridors or in the Great Hall a few times.

"Professor, I'm happy that you came," she said with a forced smile. Since she became the Minister, he always found that she wasn't particularly fond of his presence (probably because between the two of them, her power and knowledge was always questioned), but now she did seem desperate enough to be happy to see him, she was only very exhausted by the last day.

He greeted her warmly. "Minister, it's my pleasure." She signed for him to sit down and he did exactly that after with wandless magic moved a heap of paper from the seat to the table. She watched him without any emotion, and only nodded when he was already sitting right in front of her.

"I'm afraid that your note came too late," she started and he froze. What had happened? He knew that Black must have betrayed the Potters, but he thought that he simply went into hiding after he realised that his own godson has just defeated his Master. After all, he didn't seem exactly dangerous, he was the first to find Harry and yet, he gave him to Hagrid and even gave him his flying motorcycle to get young Harry to safety. The moment Dumbledore realised that Black betrayed his friends; he thought that the man has already regretted what he has done. The Potters were more than friends to him after all, they were pretty much his family and the young child who was now an orphan thanks to him was his godson.

"Has Black left the country?" he asked hoping that it was not something worse. He hoped that Black's regret would make him give himself up. His help would make it easier to catch all the other Death Eaters – after all, with him giving Order information and the location of the Potters; he must have been high up in the hierarchy of Voldemort's followers. However, his hope was crushed by her expression.

"If only," she muttered. "No, a lot worse. He was found by the DMLE and DMAC on a Muggle city street right after killing twelve Muggles and Peter Pettigrew with a Blasting Curse. Based on the eyewitnesses' statements, all Muggles, Peter Pettigrew accused him of betraying Lily and James Potter, just as your letter stated, and then with one curse Black killed everyone around," she stated. It was a lot worse than what he could ever imagine, though as a spy Black caused many of the Order members' death already, so it shouldn't have surprised him. Still, something didn't add up to him. Other than James Potter and Sirus Black himself, Remus Lupin was the intelligent and talented in their little group, and everyone inside and outside of Hogwarts thought that they just let little Peter Pettigrew follow them around, who was less handsome and a lot less smart than the other three were. So, why target Pettigrew when there was Lupin? Surely, if Pettigrew knew that Black has betrayed the Potters than so had Lupin.

"I don't even know what to say," he muttered. "Where is Black now?" he asked.

"In Azkaban, where hopefully the rest of his relatives will soon join him," she said with a satisfied smile. Azkaban – well, it made sense, he guessed. With Voldemort gone – or at least defeated – capturing his followers was going to be easier. Without their Master they are going to make mistakes, after all most were just as mad as Voldemort himself without his ability to make World conquering plans, they were just followers, not the game master. Yes, Black himself was a good example – the Death Eaters were going to become desperate. Killing twelve Muggles and his own ex-friend in a street full of Muggles? If that wasn't desperate and mad then nothing was.

With so many work though, so many to lock up in prison after capturing them, he believed that the Ministry would change some of its rules, just to make it swift. So, with cases as simple as Black's there might be no trial at all. He didn't like it, but in many ways it made sense. So many were lost in the long-lasting war and they had a society to rebuild.

"What about Harry Potter?" she asked, changing the topic, not that he was surprised. Young Harry was the new Golden Boy, the reason why Dumbledore wanted him in the Muggle world, or at least shielded from the Ministry. They would use him as a shield, as their poster boy – hiding behind him and explaining all their decisions with his face.

"He is with his last blood relative left," he stated simply telling the complete truth – after all as Minerva pointed out any of her relatives were too far away from Harry on the family-tree to be called that. The Minister of course would think that he meant the Dursleys, after all just a few hours earlier it was him who explained to her that Harry had only Muggle relations left with James Potter being the last of his family outside of Harry himself.

She didn't seem surprised though, but she was hardly happy. She pressed her lips tightly together and looked at him disapprovingly, which once again reminded him of Minerva. Yes, while she was pretty intelligent and professional, a true Ravenclaw if he ever knew one, she was a politician no less – the reason why he never wanted to sit in the chair she was occupying. She wanted Harry as her own puppet just as any other Minister would want, just as according to Minerva he wanted, but the truth was that at least he had better ideas for the boy. He didn't want his pictures on the first page of the _Daily Prophet_ ; instead he wanted him to grow up to be like his parents, ready to fight for the Light Side. Yes, he wanted him to be the Golden Boy, but in an entirely different way.

"I looked through Lily and James Potter's will. They wanted Sirius Black to take the boy if something happened to them and if he was in any way unable to do that, which I dare say is the situation, then as you suggested according to the will you are to find the boy a suitable home. So, I'm not going to quarrel with you, but I am still not happy about the idea of Harry Potter growing up in a Muggle family," she stated. Well, she was certainly going to murder him in ten years when she realized that Harry in fact grew up in the magical community, only to be hid from not only the Death Eaters, but the Ministry itself, but for now his job was well-done.

It didn't even occur to him that the Potters would have wanted Black to take their son, but then again it did make sense, after all he was his godfather. But why not the Longbottoms then? Alice was his godmother after all. Or did they think that he would automatically assume that Alice and Frank Longbottom, aurors and respected Order members would be his first choice? Why he trusted them especially now that he knew who the spy was, their close association with the Ministry and their entirely pureblood family though mostly on the Light Side, didn't make him completely satisfied with that option. As of now the only logical explanation he could find was that because they knew that the Longbottoms young son was the other boy who fit the prophecy, they didn't think it a good idea to have the two children together.

No, Minerva as his Deputy and the Head of Gryffindor, the house which he hoped would be Harry's own one day, a half-blood who has grown up in the Muggle world, but understood the magical world completely, one who actively took part in the war against Voldemort, a professor known for her strictness, but fairness seemed like a better option to him. Especially now knowing that she was in fact related to young Harry by blood so Lily Potter's sacrifice would keep Harry safe until he was seventeen, an adult who could take care of himself.

"I have my reasons, Minister," he stated simply. She stared at him for a long moment, but then she just chuckled humourlessly.

"Of that I was absolutely certain. But Headmaster, don't forget that your foremost loyalty must be to the Ministry," she stated casually, but there was warning in her tone. He just nodded as a response. Did she think that he was about to become the next Dark Lord now that Voldemort was gone? No, he was absolutely loyal to the right values – something the Ministry could not always say honestly. Wasn't he the one who defeated the previous Dark Lord or who has been working diligently to take down Voldemort? He understood that the witch in front of him found him a political opponent; even though he expressed countless times that he didn't wish to be the Minister. Then again, being the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the school ninety-nine percent of magical Britain has gone to give him a respect many didn't even have for the Minister – one the top of the Ministry always envied.

"While I must agree that Harry Potter's new fame and influence could be a great way to stabilise the Ministry after Voldemort's reign in the public's eye, you have to remember that he is only a baby. While you see him as a political device, I see him a child who will one day grace the corridors of my school. I see him as a toddler who needs to grow up and form his own thoughts before being told what to say and do by the Ministry. He will be only eleven when he rejoins the wizarding world, even that is too young, don't you think?" he asked with a somewhat amused expression clearly on his face. With the Potters' will on his side there was no way that she was to win this battle and from her clearly not amused expression she understood it all too well too.

"I am delighted that you find _young_ Mr Potter's well-fare your priority," she said with a touch of sarcasm. He smiled as a response.

"Of that you can be absolutely sure." Also, Minerva would certainly murder him if he didn't, especially now that she decided to be a lioness keeping her cub safe.

* * *

When a few minutes short of an hour he appeared in his office he wasn't exactly surprised to see that Minerva and the baby have already left. However, the chair in front of his desk was occupied which was not something he expected. Only the professors and the most trusted Order members had access to his office when he wasn't there in times like this after all. Though again, he still didn't have time to face the complete Order with all that had to be done, and Minerva surely wasn't the only one who wanted answer. Yes, clearly Remus Lupin was among the ones wanting to hear everything from his mouth as well.

"Remus, it's good to see you, my boy," he greeted the young man. His ex-student quickly stood up and even raised his wand, but then he relaxed. He seemed to be in a worse state than Dumbledore has ever seen him.

"Dumbledore." He just nodded in greeting. He was clearly upset and didn't seem to care about the formalities. "The Law Enforcement has just visited me," he said softly as if it pained him to talk. Dumbledore gestured to him to sit down.

"They wanted to talk about Sirius Black, I assume," he said and Remus slowly nodded.

"Yes, him, and Li-Lily and... and James. Also, Pe-Peter," he mumbled. At that moment Dumbledore realised that Remus Lupin not only lost two of his best friends to Voldemort and his quest for power, but also the remaining two as well, one to justice and one to a serious betrayal. He was right now all alone in a world which rejected him for something he couldn't control. He was just a young boy when he has been bitten after all, and it was all for revenge against his father, he didn't even make a childish mistake. At Hogwarts he has been accepted, he had friends, who now were either dead or traitorous.

"I'm sorry, really sorry, my dear boy," he said softly, not sure what to even say. Why he found Lily and James Potter's death cruel and unfair, they were so young after all, and very sad because of young Harry and the betrayal of Sirius Black effected him as well as the whole Order, he couldn't even imagine how Remus could feel. He supposed much like how he felt after his sister's death.

"You have Harry, don't you?" Remus didn't seem to hear what he said or care, not that Dumbledore was hurt by it. He knew that some words about being sorry and feeling pity wouldn't help Remus much, not now, maybe not ever.

"Yes, though the matter is a bit more complicated than that," he stated. He wasn't sure that the young man now needed to hear about Lily Potter's sacrificial magic or secret parentage. He must have been too upset to even understand most of it no matter his high intelligence. "Minerva is with him at the moment at my house." Remus just nodded and both remained silent for a long moment.

"I know that he can't stay with me – with my co-condition. But he... I don't have anyone, but him now; I want to be in his life, Professor. I need Harry," he stated, not that Dumbledore didn't know that. Yes, young Harry was the last connection to the friends he had. Not that Dumbledore was against the idea – as long Remus was not close to Harry around full moon, the young man was surely not a bad influence. He was a connection to Harry's parents, one Harry himself would probably like when he was older.

Minerva asked him who he thought their secret was safe with, who could know about Harry's real placement. He wasn't able to answer because of the matter of Sirius Black, but now he knew at least one person he absolutely trusted with the secret.


	4. Job offers

**Author's note:** **Thank you for all the follows, favourites and mostly, the reviews - if you have any quetsions, ideas or just reaction it always make me very happy. I also answer every review (not able if you are a guest) in PM. The story will speed up in the upcoming chapters as this is the fourth one and it's still the same night, it won't be like that for much longer of course but I needed to set the scene and the character's positions. I hope you enjoy baby!Harry though I have to admit all I know about fifteen-month-olds come from the internet.**

 **Every italic word in this chapter is directly taken from _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ by J. K. Rowling. The missing pieces of the original text are not shown. I wanted to show how Snape ended up on Team Harry as well, because he is going to be a quite major character.**

* * *

 **–** **CHAPTER 4** **–**

 **Job offers**

* * *

Dumbledore wasn't surprised to find out of all people Severus Snape in his office – he was more surprised that the man didn't come sooner. The young man _was making a terrible sound, like a wounded animal._ _Snape was slumped forward in a chair_ and _Dumbledore_ walked over to him, _looking grim_. _After a moment or two, Snape raised his face, and he looked like a man who had lived a hundred years of misery since leaving the wild hilltop_ where he promised to do anything as long Dumbledore kept Lily Potter safe.

" _I thought . . . you were going . . . to keep her . . . safe. . . ."_ He wanted of course. It wasn't like he didn't want to – Lily and James Potter were young, talented, intelligent, loyal to fault and they believed in the right values. They were exactly the type of people most would want around especially if they were just about to rebuild an entire society. After all they were the perfect role models – a pureblood from an old and well-known family, the last heir marrying a Muggle-born, Head Boy and Girl in their years with bright future in front of them and a happy marriage and a cute baby.

Yes, it was all Black's fault, he decided. He should have known that he was the spy.

" _She and James put their faith in the wrong person," said Dumbledore._ If only they didn't, but then again whatever Lily did it consciously and knew what was going to happen, or she just did something out of deepest maternal love, their death meant that their son survived and the war was mostly over. _"Rather like you, Severus. Weren't you hoping that Lord Voldemort would spare her?"_

Taunting a broken man wasn't what he usually did, but the young man, only out of school for a few years has made some terrible choices. He was a half-blood who has grown up in a Muggle environment, his best friend was a Muggle-born and yet, he chose the side who hated all that. For a moment Dumbledore mused if Lily Evans would have chosen the man right front of him if he didn't side with Voldemort or if she and James Potter were just meant to be. It was an interesting thought and by the look of it, it has been taunting young Severus for years.

 _Snape's breathing was shallow._

" _Her boy survives," said Dumbledore._ If Severus Snape was as broken as he suspected than he could be a great ally. The young man was intelligent and talented, only misguided. It was a wild guess knowing how much Severus hated James Potter and his friends, but he dearly hoped that the man loved Lily Potter – or at least Lily Evans – too much not to care about her little boy. If Voldemort ever came back, a spy was just what he would need. _With a tiny jerk of the head, Snape seemed to flick off an irksome fly._

" _Her son lives. He has her eyes, precisely her eyes. You remember the shape and colour of Lily Evans's eyes, I am sure?"_ It was a bit cruel of Dumbledore, he knew but he needed Severus Snape's alliance – if not now then later. The young man was especially talented in Potions; he knew well, as Horace went on and on about him so many times that Dumbledore was sure that he wouldn't be able to forget that fact, which already gave him countless ideas. The moment Horace heard that Voldemort was gone, he resigned which gave Dumbledore quite a headache as it was the middle of first term and he had to find someone to take Potions and to be the Head of Slytherin – as strange as it was no Slytherin professor at Hogwarts remained with Horace gone. It probably had to do something with the war and the Slytherins' strange views of alliance and loyalty, he mused.

" _DON'T!" bellowed Snape. "Gone . . . dead . . ."_ She was of dead of course, which made him feel a bit bad about how he has been treating the young man in front of him, but then again Severus needed to see reason. He was offering him a choice – be the man worthy of Lily Potter's memory and live the life she would want for him to have. Dumbledore would be able to keep him out of Azkaban, make a good citizen and respected professor out of him and in due time, when Harry needed protection and guidance maybe even a hero.

" _Is this remorse, Severus?"_ He knew it was. He understood exactly what Snape was feeling. The young man made a bad decision which played a part in the death of a loved one – it was something himself was familiar with.

" _I wish . . . I wish I were dead. . . ."_ Of that he was certain. It would be too easy and pretty sad though – Snape was young, very young compared to him and if he just found something to drive him, he could excel. It was before the need to be accepted. With a Muggle father, being a half-blood with no money, but great talent he was accepted among the very best of Voldemort's followers. Now maybe Lily Potter's memory would be that drive which fuelled great achievements.

" _And what use would that be to anyone?" said Dumbledore coldly. "If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear."_ It was, at least in his opinion. If he knew anything about the young woman, it was that she was brave, loyal and had a big heart – she would have done anything for her son, just as she has done, she was ready to sacrifice her own life for his. With Harry being alive but in constant danger it was the most logical thing to do – make sure that Lily's death wasn't in vain. Do what she would do, protect Harry.

 _Snape seemed to peer through a haze of pain and Dumbledore's words appeared to take a long time to reach him._

" _What — what do you mean?"_

" _You know how and why she died. Make sure it was not in vain. Help me protect Lily's son."_ Done, he has said it. He just hoped that he was right and Snape had what it take to realise the truth behind his words.

" _He does not need protection. The Dark Lord has gone —"_

" _The Dark Lord will return, and Harry Potter will be in terrible danger when he does."_ And even if he never did, which he was sure was bound to happen sooner or later, the Death Eaters were still out there and they all probably wanted the one who defeated their Master dead.

 _There was a long pause, and slowly Snape regained control of himself, mastered his own breathing. At last he said, "Very well. Very well. But never — never tell, Dumbledore! This must be between us! Swear it! I cannot bear . . . especially Potter's son . . . I want your word!"_ He wasn't exactly surprised, but it would make everything a lot harder, not being able to share it with anyone to make them believe that Severus was now loyal to him and not his previous Master. He already imagined Minerva's shouting match when he insisted on having Severus in little Harry's life.

" _My word, Severus, that I shall never reveal the best of you?" Dumbledore sighed, looking down into Snape's ferocious, anguished face. "If you insist . . ."_ He wasn't about to broke his words though, no matter how hard it would be. He just hoped that his simple words would be enough to convince others of Severus' loyalty.

"I have a proposition for you, Severus," Dumbledore stated simply after a moment of silence. He was met by dark defeated eyes.

"If you ask me to babysit I will surely kill you," he answered with a scowl. Well, it was not exactly what Dumbledore was just about to say, but it was good to know, though somehow it didn't surprise him.

"No, young Harry is in good hands already, I'm sure that your babysitting abilities wouldn't be needed in the near future. Though, my proposition does involve children. I want you to teach," he stated simply and Severus let out a dry chuckle.

"Me? As a teacher? Have you lost your marbles Dumbledore?" he asked with a faint grimace.

"We both know that the Ministry is already after the Death Eaters and after the downfall of Voldemort sooner or later all of his followers will be captured. I can keep you out of Azkaban now that you promised to keep young Harry safe, but they would want me to watch over you constantly. I believe not many will be happy with an ex-Death Eater at Hogwarts, but at least you would be right under my nose, they wouldn't be able to argue with that," he stated, but Severus didn't seem convinced.

"So, what? You want to sack one of your teachers so you can look after me? You will be babysitting me?" he asked with dark determination in his eyes.

"Oh, no, of course. I would never to do that to any of my colleagues. But I'm sure that you remember Professor Slughorn – he feels that now that the Dark Lord has been defeated it is time to go into retirement," he said simply. The constant scowl on Severus' face deepened.

"You want me to be your Potions professor?" he asked as if he did not believe his own ears.

"And the Head of Slytherin House of course. Sadly, we don't have any Slytherin professor left now. It would be a shame if I was to appoint someone from a different house to the post. Can you imagine the Slytherins ever be loyal to a Head of House who wasn't a Slytherin?"

"Slytherins are not loyal to anyone, period," Severus snapped as a response and Dumbledore smiled widely.

"Oh, pardon me; you see I am just an old Gryffindor. This was exactly what I was talking about – only a Slytherin would understand other Slytherins," he said it as a fact. Severus let out a sigh which probably meant something along the lines that he was going to commit suicide (or murder) in the near future if he had to be in his presence, but as Dumbledore liked to misunderstood things he interpreted as Severus being up to the task.

"Great, I am delighted that you are willing to take the job," he said happily and when Severus was about to deny his assumption, Dumbledore went on to describe the payment and every detail involving the job never giving a moment to Severus to decline the offer.

* * *

Minerva was sitting on the floor which was quite unusual for her in the first place, but she even had a picture book in her hands. With a small smile she imagined her students seeing her like that, with her hair down instead of the strict bun and with a toddler in her arms. She had done similar things before, after all both her brothers had children and during the summer holiday she frequently spent time with her nieces and nephews, but she was hardly ever alone with them when they were younger.

And yet, baby Harry was now her responsibility. It was a frightening and confusing thought – one, she knew she would need at least months to fully understand and with the charms done now there wasn't any backing out.

She didn't know enough about fifteen-month-olds, she knew that. However, it was in the middle of the night – and the entire day had been quite long. Still, Harry didn't want to sleep. It was probably because he has slept for a bit while Hagrid took him to his aunt's house and then while Dumbledore and she had their conversation. She was able to feed him and bath him already, but when she put him down in his cot he made sure that she understood that he wasn't willing to sleep.

Where on Earth did Dumbledore even find a picture book in the middle of the night, she wasn't even sure. Had he transfigured one of his books? She imagined him with a thick book on magical theory which he changed into a child's book and the thought brought a smile on her face.

"Goggy," Harry pointed to a dog on the picture.

"Yes, that's a doggy, Harry," she answered patiently thanking her youngest brother's, Robert's Muggle wife mentally, who went on and on for hours once when her children were small about the contents of a Muggle parenting book which detailed how to behave around and teach a toddler. Without that memory she surely wouldn't know how to react to Harry's attempts in communication.

"Like Pa'foo'," he said happily. The dog on the picture was quite big and had black fur. Minerva wasn't sure what young Harry was talking about though. Just before Harry said that name when Sirius Black came up and then she remembered that it was something James Potter and his friends called Black at school especially in their last years. But what did that have to do with a black dog? If she remembered well Lily during one Order meeting told her about Harry playing with their cat. Did they have a dog as well?

"Harry, who is Padfoot? Your doggy?" she asked curiously the toddler who nodded happily.

"Doggy," he said happily. "Unca Pa'foo'." Okay, so she probably wasn't going to get that piece of information from a baby whose entire vocabulary consisted of about ten words.

"And what is this," she pointed to a drawn wolf on the same page. She didn't expect an answer from Harry, but then again she shouldn't have been surprised when he did answer (Wo'f) after all Remus Lupin was a close family friend, one Harry must have known and probably his condition was not once mentioned in front of Harry.

"Yes, Harry, it is a wolf," she said encouragingly. She then pointed to a cat, which Harry easily identified, but then again they probably had one at home. The next animal was a horse, but then Harry let out a happy chuckle instead of answering.

"What it is this again, Harry?" she questioned her grandson.

"Wo'f," he replied with a grin and a sparkle in his green eyes. She was just about to tell him that no, it was a horse when a voice filled the room and she looked in the direction where it came from only to notice a wolf – a shiny patronus.

"Professor, Dumbledore told me that you have Harry. He gave me permission to visit, I will be there in a minute, I just wanted to warn you before I arrived," said a masculine voice, one Minerva recognised as Remus Lupin's. The patronus disappeared when the message ended.

"Yes Harry, that was a wolf," she said softly while she caressed the toddler's silky cheeks. True to his words, the fireplace in the living room which they currently occupied roared to life with green flames and none other than Remus Lupin stepped out. He looked worse for wear than she has ever seen him – he looked tired, torn and defeated at the same time. If she didn't know for better she would have said that it was just the time of full moon, but no, it was not for another fortnight. His expression brightened the moment he caught sight of Harry, a smile appeared on his young, but scarred face.

"Password?" she asked out of habit. Voldemort maybe have been gone, but the war wasn't exactly just over.

"Fat Lady," he said without even looking at her as he was too occupied with Harry. "Oh, Harry," he muttered softly. Harry looked up from his picture book once the man spoke. He giggled happily.

"Moo'y," he greeted Remus who looked at her with questioning expression. She nodded, giving him permission to pick up his honorary nephew. The moment he had the toddler in his arms Minerva saw his whole posture relaxing. She watched the touching moment, feeling like she wasn't supposed to be there at all spying on the pair of them.

Of course, Remus has lost all his friends in one day. It only occurred to her at that moment, that Harry was the last connection to the people who have all accepted him no matter his condition.

"Thank you, Professor," Remus said and sat down on the floor with Harry on his laps easily. She just nodded not trusting her own voice. "Shouldn't you be in bed, Prongslet?" he asked the toddler who started playing with the hem of his robes.

"No," Harry answered easily which made both Remus and her chuckling.

"I tried to put down him to sleep, but he wouldn't let me," she answered honestly. Remus nodded in acknowledgement and looked at Harry with a faraway look.

"It's Lily – she sang him a lullaby every time he was put done. When she wasn't around James did. I think he is missing that. And his parents, of course," he said softly, but Harry caught his words.

"Mama? Dada?" he asked with uncertainty in his voice. She suspected whenever those words would be spoken she would get tears in her eyes in the future as well, but she still tried to get herself together.

"It's just your Granny and your Uncle Moony, Prongslet," Remus offered to the toddler who seemed close to crying.

"Mama, Dada? 'here?" he asked the same question he did in Dumbledore's office. How to tell a baby hardly older than a year old that his parents were dead and that he was never going to see them again? It broke her heart and she noticed that it broke her ex-student's as well. He forced a smile on his face though.

"Well, Prongslet, now I will have to sing to you. I know, I know, my voice is not the best, but it will have to do for now," he said and he scooped up the small child. She got up as well and gestured towards the corridor. She opened the door of the first room on the right which they have decided on with Albus only an hour or so ago. Between the current and the previous Transfiguration teacher the room was baby-proof and equipped pretty quickly.

Remus placed Harry in the cot which was close to the door. The room was painted yellow and the ceiling was charmed to show stars during the night. They illuminated the room enough that Harry wouldn't be afraid in the dark, but it was still not light enough not to be able to sleep or disturb one's sleep.

"Pa'foo'?" Harry asked curiously looking around the cot. Remus stiffened at the name and Minerva looked at him curiously.

"I'm sorry Harry, but Padfoot is not here. I will find it for you, I promise," he said softly talking to the baby and then turned to Minerva to give an explanation.

"He is asking for his stuffed animal, a black dog. Sirius bought it for Harry when he was born. He always sleeps with it," he said and now everything made sense to her. So that was why Harry said that name when he saw the dog in the picture book. Remus turned back to Harry and started humming.

" _Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Papa's gonna buy you a snidget bird. And if that snidget bird is caught, Papa's gonna buy you a Hopping Pot..._ " Remus sang the lullaby, which was oddly familiar to Minerva, but at the same time she was sure that it was a Muggle nursery rhyme but it was full of magical references.

She was amazed to see that Harry in fact drifted to sleep the moment the lullaby ended with "You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town." She watched Remus who tucked Harry in with the greatest care. She opened her mouth to speak, but Remus saw it and gestured towards the door. She nodded and followed the younger man.

"What is this lullaby?" she asked curiously once they left Harry's new nursery. They were standing on the corridor and she watched as a small and very sad smile appeared on his face.

"It's a Muggle cradle-song originally, one that was sang to Lily as well, Lily wanted to continue the tradition but James found some parts too Muggle not fitting a magical household enough, so we all sit together and rewrote it. You can imagine that this is the mildest version, some lyrics we came up with weren't exactly child-friendly," he said softly.

"Could you write down it for me?" she questioned him and he slowly and somewhat reluctantly nodded. This surprised Minerva, as Remus Lupin was always the type to do anything he was asked to do without a word. Remus seemed to understand her expression and he explained his reaction hesitantly.

"Well, if you have the lullaby, you won't need me to sing it. It would be an excuse for me to see him frequently," he stated simply. He was afraid that she wouldn't let him see his nephew, she realized.

"Do you have a job now Remus?" she asked curiously, a plan forming in her mind already. He seemed alarmed and a bit taken back by the question.

"No, ma'am, but I'm sure that something will come up. Recently I only worked for the Order, but now that You-Know-Who is gone, I will have time to work, I believe," he said. She nodded.

"I have a job offer for you," she said and he looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I know that it isn't exactly something fitting your education and intelligence, but I need to find someone whom I can trust and who will certainly care for Harry and who Harry likes," she stated and he seemed to understand already.

"You would hire me as a babysitter?" he asked with clear surprise.

"Well, I will need one for at least a few years. If I know Albus well, he will want Harry in a Muggle primary school to get used to the Muggle world as well, but before then I need someone to look after Harry while I am teaching," she clarified. "I'm sure that Albus told you the particulars about Harry's arrangement, so you probably understand why I don't just go around and announce that I'm in dire need of a babysitter." He nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'm a werewolf, Professor, not exactly fit for taking care of a small child," he stated matter-of-factly. She just gave him The Look every of her students feared.

"I'm aware of the fact as was Lily and James and yet you clearly spent time with Harry. I want someone in his life he already knows, not a lot of people to choose from, am I right?" She knew she was, after all since his birth in one way or in another they have been in hiding, so only the closest to the couple spent much time in the baby's presence.

"I-I don't know what to say, Professor," he stated and she chuckled dryly.

"A yes wouldn't be bad, especially as I need a babysitter from tomorrow morning. Not too much time to find one, I'm afraid," she stated. There were always the Longbottoms, but for one reason or another they were still in hiding or the Weasleys, but she wasn't sure if giving Molly Weasley an eight child (if she knew well even her oldest only started Hogwarts next year) was exactly the right solution. It would work out a few times, she believed but not constantly.

"Yes, but...," he started only to be interrupted.

"No buts, if you worry about the days before and after the full moon I will just find someone to temporary take care of Harry," she simply said. He nodded with a small smile playing on the edge of his lips.

"Well, it would be certainly nice to be paid for playing with my nephew," he simply said. She raised her eyebrows and pressed her lips together.

"You might have forgotten that we are talking about James Potter's son. I assure you that you will earn that money." He let out a sad chuckle, probably enjoying her teasing, but still in upheaval because of his friend's death.

"He is something, isn't he?" Remus asked while watching the door of Harry's nursery. She nodded in agreement and a smile appeared on her face.

"Yes, he is," she agreed whole-heartedly. She might not have been entirely sure how she was going to raise Harry, but she knew that it was worth it at the end of the day, because in the baby she saw exactly why they have been fighting this war for years – for happiness, for hope, for the future.


	5. Changed life

**Author's note:** **Thank you for all the follows, favourites and mostly to** ** _roni2010_ who was the only to review the previous chapter.**

 **The first part of this chapter is very much based on information from Pottermore - about McGonagall's life. There are some changes though to fit the timeline. At eighteen when she met Dougal McGregor they didn't just become friends in canon, but fell in love. He proposed to her at eighteen not years later as in here. Also, Minerva started working at the Ministry after the heartbreak and she only worked there between 1954 and 1956 while in my story she worked there until 1959 and started working at Hogwarts in 1960. Also, in canon she marries Elphinstone Urquart in 1982.**

* * *

 **–** **CHAPTER 5** **–**

 **Changed life**

* * *

It was the end of the school year; the students have just left the previous day. A small smile appeared on her face when she realized that this would be her first summer with Harry. While she still had much to do as Deputy Headmistress and Head of House during the holiday, like visiting the accepted Muggle-borns or choosing the new prefects, it still meant a lot less work than any other time in the year.

She was walking around the grounds of the castle, which somehow became such important part of her life that she couldn't imagine not being there again. It was the small things she loved, how the Giant Squid sometimes rose out of the water and waved, how Hagrid was working in his small garden with a grin on his bushy face, how she spotted Pomona enthusiastically running around the grounds probably looking for a plant.

"I knew I would find you here," she heard a voice she instantly recognized. She turned around with a smile on her face. Elphinstone didn't change much since she has last met which was around October she guessed, but as everyone he seemed more relaxed and carefree. Yes, that happened to everyone now that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was gone and one by one all his followers were in prison, the war was coming to end. He took her hand and kissed it lightly. He looked at her with his blue eyes, which while weren't as striking as Albus', she still found expressive. He always had light hair, but now he had a bald patch and the remaining dark blonde hair was mixed with a bit of gray. He was slightly pudgier than when they first met, but he was still quite in shape.

"It's summer," she said easily. "It's good to see you," she added softly. They sent letters frequently to each other, but since Harry came to live with her, her responses were very vague. For Harry's protection, she didn't want to tell him the truth in a letter, but she knew that he deserved more than the child of her goddaughter story. Now that most Death Eaters were locked up she felt that in person she could tell him the truth at least.

"It's always good to see you, Minerva," he said just as softly and somewhat vulnerably while he gazed at her, and she blushed at his attention like a silly teenager. "You know, I was always disappointed that you left the Ministry, but over the years I realized that this is where you belong. Did you know that one of my nieces starts Hogwarts next year? I have been with her recently, celebrating her birthday and she has been going on and on about Hogwarts and it made me remember my own days here. Now I am jealous of you," he stated and she laughed quietly. She looked up to the beautiful castle and she nodded easily.

"Yes, it's quite something," she agreed. "I'm not sure I could go back working to the DMLE, it would feel like cheating on Hogwarts." That remark made both of them laugh. He took her hand and they started walking around the lake. She focused on the water, but she felt him right next to her.

"I was afraid that you wouldn't want to see me. You've hardly written recently and when you did your letters lacked something," he started, but she stopped him.

"It's complicated, Elph. Also, it's something very confidential. What I tell you now, well, you can't tell anyone for the next nine years," she said and it earned a confused expression from him.

"Nine years?" he asked and she laughed lightly.

"I admit, it sounds strange, but it will make sense in a minute," she started. "I'm sure that you remember Dougal McGregor," the name made the man right beside her stiffened.

"I thought that you haven't been in contact for years," he said coldly and she nodded. He was jealous; he must have thought that she and Dougal have rekindled their relationship. She had to admit that his jealousy flattered her.

"We haven't," she agreed which made him relax. "But he is part of a story only one other person has ever heard fully and even that was out of must. He has just recently died, did you know? A completely Muggle disease killed him, one which might have been easily cured with magic. I only know because of the gossips around the farmers," she said with a sad half-smile. "But he was happy as far as I know; he lived a very Muggle life with a completely ordinary wife and children. That's one of the reasons why I never told him that I was pregnant." He stopped walking and turned towards her.

"What?" he asked with a confused expression.

"I met him after my last year at Hogwarts during summer. We agreed to be only friends then and started exchanging letters. Over the years we fell in love, even though we rarely saw each other. We were in love, I'm sure you remember that, but I didn't want to be like my mother. My father has accepted that my mother was magical and all three of us have inherited magic once he had to be told, because I did accidental magic, but it was always tense at home. She was a witch, yet she wasn't. I didn't want to be like that, so after he proposed and I said yes, I was unable to tell my parents and I panicked. I broke it off next day with him, and left him completely behind. Two months later I realized that I was pregnant. I didn't know what to do; I thought about going back to him and telling him everything not caring about my job or anything, marrying him and having his baby. But I still wasn't ready for the life of my mother, I had plans, plans to be great and all. I knew thought that as an unmarried mother I wouldn't be easily accepted and I didn't feel ready to a raise a baby alone," she explained and he seemed completely lost. He probably had no idea where she was going with the story.

"This was when I quit working at the Ministry. I spent the next few months with my brothers, once living with Robert, once with Malcolm. They were the only one to know that I was pregnant, not even our parents did. And then when the baby was born in the end of Janury in 1960. It was a beautiful baby girl, but I gave her up. I was afraid of anyone getting to know, so I gave her up to Muggles, which is pretty ironic now looking back, because of how the reason I left Dougal was that I was afraid of living the life of a Muggle."

"So, your daughter is what, twenty-two now? She isn't a Squib, is she?" he asked curiously and she shook her head.

"I knew that the chances of that were small even if the father was a Muggle. After all, my mother had three completely magical children with a Muggle. No, when she was eleven she came to Hogwarts. Her parents showed me the papers of adoption, so I knew it, but I would have still recognize her, even if they didn't. She was a Gryffindor with the intelligence of a Ravenclaw. She became a prefect and then a Head Girl, though she certainly did not inherit my flying abilities or love for Quidditch," she explained with a fond smile.

"Does she know?" he asked curiously and she shook her head.

"No, she never got to know," she replied.

"Why did you tell all this to me now? Who else did you tell?" he questioned her and a dark look passed her face.

"She died last October," she replied softly and he seemed to understand her immediately. He put his arms around her and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry, Minerva. It wasn't because she was thought to be a Muggle-born, right?" he asked. She knew what he meant exactly, and she shook her head with tears in her eyes. He was afraid that she was telling all this to him, because she felt guilty. He thought that she was blaming herself for Lily's death. While she knew that the fact that Lily was thought to be a Muggle-born never helped her situation, James would have been hated even for marrying a half-blood as he ruined the noble bloodline of Potters both ways. Also, they were simply too Gryffindors not to fight for their beliefs, they did join the Order just out of school, after all, so they would have been always in danger.

"No, but she was killed by You-Know-Who," she replied and he stiffened. He probably started to catch on, young Muggle-born witch dying in October by the hand of the just now defeated Dark Lord. While she was sure Lily wasn't the only to fit the description, she did tell him that her bloodline wasn't the cause of her death. After the defeat of You-Know-Who all the papers were full of the story of Lily and James. Many of the people they went to school with were interviewed and their whole past was revealed (except of course for the well hidden secrets, like their part in the Order of Phoenix or Lily's true parentage).

"Is – I mean, was Lily Potter your daughter, Minerva?" he asked softly as if he thought that the idea was so stupid that even voicing it was funny. She nodded slowly.

"Yes," she answered quietly. He stepped away from her and he ran his hand through his remaining hair which kind of reminded her of the son-in-law who never knew who she really was to him.

"And if you never said anything to anyone, why now and why to me?" he asked with clear surprise and confusion in his tone. She smiled sadly.

"Because I know you and I know myself. How many times have you proposed over the years? I've lost count of it. At least once every two years. And now that the reason why I always said no is dead, and we both know you always knew that the reason I rejected you was that I couldn't marry you with him being alive. Now, now I would say yes, but I have just gained a new reason to say no recently," she stated and at the end of the sentence he realisation downed on him.

"The story of Muggles raising Harry Potter is not true, is it?" he asked quietly looking around, even thought the grounds were entirely empty except for them. She nodded. "That's why you said nine years. He was a bit older than one when he defeated You-Know-Who, so he must be around two now and in nine years he will be starting Hogwarts. Everyone will want to know him then, you can't pretend anymore that he is not around," he said with wide eyes obviously understanding entirely what was going on.

"Yes, it would be a bit strange if Harry Potter never arrived to Hogwarts, wouldn't it? The Ministry would go haywire thinking that they have lost their saviour," she laughed humourlessly.

"Why not just tell the truth to the Ministry? I mean you are his grandmother and everyone knows that you are a capable witch, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and all. The Ministry would prefer a wizarding-educated child to a Muggle one as well," he stated and Minerva smiled. Yes, he was obviously a Ministry official, but she wasn't one anymore.

"Yes, and they would prefer Harry in their own hands. Oh, and on the front page of the Daily Prophet. It will be hard enough when he starts Hogwarts. Now he is just a toddler, an exceptionally cute one, mind you, but a toddler," she said easily. How strange that being a professor changed her so much as she guessed that if she still worked at the Ministry she would agree with him. He seemed conflicted for a moment, but then he nodded.

"He has too much political power and influence for his age, I get it. Still, don't you think that the Ministry would be able to protect him?" he asked and she raised her eyebrows.

"He is quite well-protected, thank you. Albus and I would never let anyone do anything to him." His expression darkened.

"Dumbledore of course. You are playing house with him now?" he asked and she just rolled her eyes. She had a feeling that he was jealous of Albus, which was of course funny, because while he loved the man as a good friend and as a mentor, he could easily be her grandfather.

"No, but according to Lily and James Potter's will he was to place Harry if Sirius Black was incapable of raising him, so he did. Please, promise me that you won't tell anyone of what we have been talking about until Harry has re-entered the magical community," she asked and he hesitantly nodded.

"I'm not happy with all what is going on, but I understand and I trust you, Minerva. However, you have to know that my proposition still stands, I don't care if you are raising a two-year-old or not, I would be ready to marry you in a heartbeat, I have been trying to do that for about twenty years now," he stated and she nodded lightly.

"Yes, but you have to understand that at the moment my life is pretty complicated. I'm not sure that marriage is the right thing to do now. In a way, yes, I'm playing house with Albus. It's for the sake of Harry's protection and well-being, but a marriage would still further complicate things. I'm not saying no for forever, but if you truly have been waiting for me for twenty years then please give me a few more. Of course, I would understand if you moved on, but right now, I can't agree to marry you. That's why I told you the truth, the complete one; I thought you deserved more than a simple rejection." He nodded and hugged her once again.

"I have to go now and think everything through, I believe, but you will be hearing from me soon, and don't worry, your secret is safe with me, you can trust me," he stated and with a small smile she nodded. He left her there on the edge of the lake while he started walking towards the castle. She wasn't sure how she felt. She leaned against a tree and just stood there for minutes watching the silent lake. She wasn't in love with Elphinstone as she had been with Dougal, but she still loved him.

* * *

Even a year ago she would have never imagined herself baking biscuits for the birthday party of a two-year-old during the summer holiday. Yet, here she was working diligently on some shortcake while Harry was sitting on a chair and drawing or at least what two-year-olds tend to do with some parchment and art supply.

"Auntie, please milk," Harry asked and she turned around with a smile. Albus and she decided that to make the story of Henry McGonagall believable Harry should call her Aunt Minerva instead of Grandma at least as long as he couldn't grasp his past. With a wave of her wand a glass appeared from the shelf and it filled itself with milk. She put down the glass in front of Harry.

"Here is your milk, Harry. Say thank you," she encouraged him.

"Thank you, Auntie," he said and she praised him. Just as she was about to turn back to the biscuits she heard a distant pop. She turned around again expecting and wasn't surprised when Albus entered the room in one of his ridiculous robes, this one was magenta coloured.

"Uncle Al," Harry took notice of Albus enthusiastically. He wanted to hop down from the chair, but before he could, Albus easily helped him down.

"Harry, my dear boy, what are you doing?" he asked with a kind smile and as always Minerva was surprised by how easily he took to having Harry around. Harry started babbling about drawing in a way only a preschooler could and she gave up entirely on the biscuits, instead she joined the little strange family. She sat down on one of the chairs facing Albus who did the same previously and had Harry now safely on his laps.

"So, tomorrow we will spend the day with Augusta and little Neville while Molly brings Ronald as well, so the three children can play and Remus will be over on the 31st," Minerva explained the next two days' plans to him. Though, she suspected that he was listening to Harry more than he did to her, she hoped that the Great Albus Dumbledore was able to understand both of them at the same time.

"Come on, Harry. Don't you want to go outside and play with a ball while your aunt is baking?" Albus asked and she rolled her eyes. Who cared about those biscuits anyway? Knowing Augusta Longbottom and Molly Weasley there would be more than enough of food there. So, she followed the pair outside. She and Albus sat down to a coffee table and conjured some tea while they kept watching their young ward.

"Do you think that we have been doing everything well with Harry? I always feel that somehow we will mess him up," she confessed while the young boy ran after a ball.

"I don't think that as long as you love him and care for him you can really mess it up. He is a happy child, isn't him? He is bright for his age as well. There is absolutely nothing wrong with him," he stated simply with a dazzling smile and twinkling blue eyes.

Their attention was elsewhere for only a moment long, but when their eyes wandered to Harry again both were startled to see Harry hugging something which suspiciously looked like a snake nearly a meter long curled up, which was rare enough for Britain but even rarer to be hugged. At the exact moment the two professors got up and rushed to Harry who they were even more startled to find was hissing at the snake and the snake hissed as well, but didn't seem to want to hurt him.

"Harry, darling wouldn't you let that snake go?" she asked softly and the toddler looked up. He shook his head happily.

"She like me," Harry explained. Albus with an easy flick of his wand made the snake disappear, though it might not have been the best solution as Harry started on a very long and tiring temper tantrum and at that moment Minerva understood what people meant under Terrible Two. About half an hour later when Harry was reasonably calm Albus started questioning him curiously.

"Harry, who were you playing with?" he asked softly and Harry frowned.

"Snake-y," he answered after a moment of pause.

"What did you mean when you said that she liked you?" Minerva wasn't sure that Harry would even understand a complicated sentence like that, but it seemed that she underestimated her grandson, because he causally answered.

"She say it," he said and Minerva and Albus shared a look.

"Albus, you think?" she started only to be stopped by a gesture from Albus who turned his attention back to Harry.

"Were you talking with it Harry?" he asked curiously and Harry seemed a bit confused for a moment probably trying to understand what his honorary uncle meant.

"Yes, she nice," he said eventually and then he turned back to the ball like the last half an hour has never happened and started playing again with it. However, in the mind of two grown-ups it did happen and they both were troubled by what has occurred. They sat back, both picking up their teas which long cooled down, but neither bothered heating them up.

"Albus, he can't be, that's impossible," she started when she was sure that Harry was once again focused on his game. She turned towards Albus who thoughtfully stirred his tea with wandless magic.

"Is it, Minerva?" he questioned her. She looked at him with confusion.

"It certainly didn't come from my side and as far as I'm aware the Potters had nothing to do with Slytherin either," she pointed out and Albus looked at her with a humourless smile.

"Didn't they? I somehow remember them dying by the hands of Slytherin's heir himself. Harry certainly had to do with him. It seems that young Harry might have gained some of Voldemort's powers, Minerva," he stated and she could hardly breathe. Not so long ago she was having her doubts that she could raise a two-year-old and now she has been told that she had to raise one with powers of a Dark Lord. That didn't exactly ease her mind. She was about to share it with Albus when he continued. "Don't worry, Minerva. As long as we care for him I don't think that these abilities would mean anything. Voldemort had no one, Harry has us," he stated simply. Well, if the Great Albus Dumbledore felt at ease than so should she, right?

* * *

She never grew tired of watching Harry play especially when he was around other children. She watched with amusement as the three children played with building blocks and conversed in a way adults wouldn't even fully understand them.

She was leaning against the table with a cup of tea in her hands while one of her old school friend Augusta was rambling on and on about how she never seen Neville do any magic before.

"Augusta, it's the boy's second birthday. You can't expect him to have done anything remarkable by now. I haven't seen Harry do anything and yet we both know that he is in fact magical," she pointed out easily. Augusta was one of the very few who has been told who Harry really was. Minerva didn't understand why Albus wanted her specifically to know when he stopped her from telling the truth to the Weasleys, but she guessed might have been because of the so many children who might not keep it to themselves.

There was that one time when she thought that she saw Harry levitate a cookie, but she just saw it out of the edge of her eyes while she was grading essays of foolish third years (not one of them from her own House) who still didn't seem to get even the basics of Transfiguration, so she was paying more attention to what was written on the parchments than to Harry. And then there was of course yesterday when Harry probably had a conversation with a snake – not that Minerva was about to share that with her gossipy friend.

"Still, what if he is a Squib?" Augusta asked and Minerva rolled her eyes. Augusta was always a bit melodramatic, she remembered well.

"First of all, a chance of that is quite low and if he is you will still love him just as much as he is your only grandchild," she said easily and her friend crossed her arms.

"It's easy for you to say, you know exactly well that your only grandchild is a wizard," she replied angrily.

"Look, just take Neville to the Ministry when he is a bit older, they are able to determine it in many ways," she stated. "But I still think that you are a bit too worried. Molly herself said that she has just recently witnessed young Charles' first magic and when they asked him about it, he confessed to have done it before." Exactly at that moment when Ronald put another block on the top of the tower they have been building the tower lost its balance and started falling down to Neville who was sitting on that side of the building, however all the blocks avoided him, not one did hit him. Minerva smiled, but then Ronald started crying so she went over to sooth the oldest of the children. When all three of them were perfectly happy again and started rebuilding the tower she rejoined Augusta who was still staring at his grandson.

"I think that was young Neville," she said with a smirk having just proven wrong the woman next to her. "Obviously he didn't want to be hit by his new birthday gift." While she liked Augusta she pitied Neville Longbottom a bit, knowing how her friend saw her son as a perfect hero. She had a feeling that Augusta would always have very high expectations when it came to her grandson – she just hoped that Harry's tiny friend wouldn't break under those expectations.


	6. Case reports

**Author's note: Hey! Thanks for following and favouriting the story and special thanks to _BeholdTheMetatron1946_ and _roni2010_ for reviewing.**

 **This chapter is the first to really show how the AU factor works - Dumbledore and McGonagall care about Harry a lot more than in canon, so they want to do everything they can to assure his safety and happiness. I always thought that Dumbledore simply didn't care enough about the Black-Pettigrew case to look behind it carefully.**

 **Also, there are many theories of mine in this chapter. I've read everything I could find about the Potters' hiding and the whole Secret Keeper thing, but if you think that something I've written does not make sense, just review/PM. For example I've never thought about it before, but if the Fidelius was only done in 1981 not much before Halloween, what wards could be so strong that Pettigrew was unable to help Voldemort in?**

* * *

 **–** **CHAPTER 6** **–**

 **Case reports**

* * *

Nearly four years have passed since that dark night of November when she told Albus her most private secret. Since then much has changed, but she guessed it was quite understandable after all now she was the guardian of a five-year-old. The aforementioned child was sitting happily on his bed now ready to sleep (or as ready as any child in his age would be).

"Now that I am to go to school, can't I visit Hogwarts?" he asked with those big almond-shaped green eyes which were now not the exact same shade as his mother's due to her own spellwork, but a lighter one, but they were just as expressive and lovely. Though, she had to admit that she quite frequently tried to picture him with the right shade.

"I have enough students there ready to wrack havoc, I don't need another one," she stated strictly, but the small smile on the edge of her lips gave her away. She always missed Harry while she was at Hogwarts and while she didn't exactly want him to grow up too quickly she had to admit that she was looking forward to having him there constantly.

"Oh, come on Granny. I live in the same house as the Headmaster and the Deputy Headmistress and I have yet to see Hogwarts," he pouted. She was ready to chastise him for calling her Granny as she had spent countless hours making sure that he understood that outside the house she was Aunt Minerva to him and that he was adopted without being any blood relation to him. However, she had a feeling that Harry called him Granny to play with her emotions, as he always seemed to know how to get to her.

"You see it every day," she pointed out. Dumbledore's cottage, which over the years did become her home as she suspected, it would happen was just behind Hogwarts, on the exact other side than Hogsmeade, so whenever he spent time outside in the garden he would see the beautiful castle. He only pouted as an answer at first.

"Yeah, from the distance, from the outside," he said with big hand movements. "It's unfair – you, Uncle Albus, Uncle Remus, everyone is always talking about Hogwarts." Well, she was ready to point out that it was quite normal as both Albus and she were part of the staff of the school and Remus only talked so much about it, because Harry himself asked, but as it was a quarrel she quite frequently had with Harry she knew that he wouldn't see reason. He was just like any other child raised in the magical community in that way.

"What did Uncle Albus tell you on your birthday?" she asked him with high eyebrows. He crossed his arms and pressed his lips together in a way that she always did, which made her heart skip a beat. She knew for fact that if his hair wasn't turned into a dark brown, he would look exactly like his father did with his mother's eyes. He even recently acquired glasses just like his father; he inherited his poor sight as well. Yet, she could see flashes of Lily and even herself sometimes in him (and he could be just as annoying as Albus).

"Happy birthday?" he asked with a grin which reminded her too much of one James Potter. Letting Remus babysit him might not have been best of her ideas no matter how loyal and kind she always found the young werewolf. No, he obviously spent too much time telling Harry about the escapades of the so-called Marauders.

"I meant about your education," she stated matter-of-factly.

"That if I went to a Muggle primary school and I got good grades on my eighth birthday he himself will start teaching me magic and I will have my lessons at Hogwarts," he repeated the sentence which she made him say at least a dozen times already. While Harry was a bright child, he was a lot like Albus even if they weren't related in blood; Harry liked to only understand the things he wanted to.

"So, which part don't you understand?" she asked with a grin. Harry rolled his eyes good naturedly.

"How about sixth birthday?" he asked with a wishful expression.

"Magic is not a game, Harry. It can be quite dangerous; there is a reason why the official education only starts at the age of eleven. Also, your magic grows and matures with you, and while both of us know well that you are magical, now it wouldn't even be stable enough to do much," she tried to explain it again. She was quite sure that he understood what she meant well enough, he just didn't want to accept it. "None of your friends are permitted to try any form of magic except for accidental, are they?" she asked the question which usually stopped Harry's rebellion. He shook his head with a frown.

"But they aren't living with Hogwarts professors either," he muttered under his breath.

"You are five, Harry. Also, why would you want to ruin the Hogwarts experience? Why would you even attend the school if Albus and I could just teach everything to you here, at home?" She didn't want him in first year with the knowledge of a third year. It would make him appreciate the magic of Hogwarts a lot less, something she didn't want for him. Though, she knew that because of his special circumstances in one way or another he would have to go to school already a lot more prepared than any other child. Harry pondered for a moment over what she has just said and then he nodded reluctantly.

"Still, must I go to a Muggle school? No one else does," he complained. She gave him The Look which always made her students shiver and stiffen, but Harry was a special case. Probably growing up with her and knowing which buttons to push gave him countless advantages over her students – he was a lot harder to intimidate. If he turned out anything like his father than she would surely get some serious headaches once he was at Hogwarts.

"Your uncle feels that it would do you some good if you got used to the Muggle world. You always want to learn things from Hogwarts. Well, Muggle studies is an elective at Hogwarts from third year. Also, we don't want you to grow up sheltered from the world. Muggles are all around us Harry and that's completely natural. They are just like us except they do things without magic. You know that I grew up in a non-magical household, even your mother did. If she was now here sitting on the edge of your bed instead of me, I believe you would be having the exact same conversation," she explained it to Harry. Albus was right, if they wanted Harry to fully understand the inconsequence of the whole pureblood supremacy he needed to see himself how the Muggles were just like any wizard or witch only without magical abilities. It was one thing to tell him and entirely different if he experienced it himself.

"My Mum would want me to go to a Muggle school?" he asked softly and there was some uncertainty in his voice which was nearly always presented when he was asking about his parents. She smiled sadly and nodded. She knew that no matter how many stories they tell and pictures they show to Harry, to him his parents still seem like some type of fairy tales, some greater forces who never made mistakes and always knew what to do – and he wanted them to be proud of him no matter what, so he was ready to do anything as long as he thought that his parents would want him to do it.

"She was never embarrassed about the fact that she grew up among Muggles. No, she was quite proud of herself that she understood two worlds as well, and she always said that it gave her a perspective over those who grew up in a magical household," she told him and he obviously liked her response because he smiled.

"It makes sense. Thanks Granny," he said softly. When she stared at him sternly he grinned a bit sheepishly.

"I know, I know, _Auntie_. It's just... it's good to know that I have a grandmother," he said honestly. She raised her eyebrows at that he seemed to understand what she meant. "I love Uncle Albus and Remus as well, but it's a bit different. I prefer to call you Granny, because it means that we are... well, family." She leaned forward and put her arms around the little boy who was growing up so quickly.

"Oh, Harry, there are different types of family. Just because you aren't related to Uncle Albus and Remus by blood it doesn't mean that they love you any less," she explained and he nodded softly at that.

"Thank you," he stated before he laid down. She tucked him in and started singing softly his lullaby. Harry didn't sleep though, but watched her intensely as she finished.

"Uncle Remus said that my parents wrote it. I like hearing it," he stated and she smiled at him.

"I know you do, you were never willing to sleep without hearing it when you were younger," she answered teasingly. Harry grabbed a stuffed animal from the edge of the bed and looked at it curiously. She automatically stiffened as it was Padfoot, the stuffed dog Harry got from the traitor, the one Remus saved from the ruins of the Potter's cottage a day after Harry was given to her. Just like the lullaby Padfoot was an important part of Harry's sleeping habits – more precisely, he never slept without the dog. Over the years she tried to change it to any other stuffed animal, Albus and she bought plenty for him, but it stuck somehow.

"Did my parents get Padfoot for me?" he asked curiously and she planted a fake smile on her face.

"No, Harry, one of their friends gave it to them as a gift when you were born," she explained and he nodded, though he seemed curious by the vague details. From a young age Minerva always encouraged him to want to know everything, to ask questions, to be interested in the world, but with that came the problem of wanting to know things too dark and hurtful for his age. She wasn't about to explain to a five-year-old that his parents' best friend betrayed them and caused their death only to become a mass murderer later.

"And now you really should be sleeping, Harry. Tomorrow is a big day for you," she reminded him. He just grimaced, but with the dog in his arms he made himself comfortable and closed his eyes. She watched him for a few moments, and when she knew that he was in fact drifting to sleep she left his room soundlessly. Albus was sitting in the living room with a thick book in his hands. He looked up with a quick smile and curiosity in his twinkling blue eyes.

"I thought that you will just sing to him," he stated and she chuckled.

"When was the last time that worked out? You know how he is, he questions everything," she said lightly and took place next to him checking out the book he was reading curiously. To her biggest surprise when she took a closer look she realized it wasn't really a book, rather a collection of case files transfigured in the format of a book, probably to be able to read it more easily. She needed to catch only a few words to know that he was reading about the trials, punishments and crimes of convicted Death Eaters.

"Why are you reading that, Albus?" she asked curiously. For a moment he didn't answer, instead he turned a page, but then he caught her eyes.

"It's Harry, I'm always worried about him, you know. If _he_ ever comes back then he will want his faithful followers and such a thing as Azkaban won't exactly stop him, I'm afraid. I'm just being cautious, trying to understand the other side, getting to know what we are against, I believe," he said easily but with a dark look on his face.

"Have you found anything interesting?" she asked, not bothering of finding a book to herself after finishing her previous one last night. The best thing of living in the same house as Albus Dumbledore was the long conversations they had. He was rightfully said to be not only the greatest, but wisest wizard of their age. No matter the topic, she always found his opinion interesting.

"A few. Did you know that Bartemius Crouch's son only died a year after his imprisonment? And Crouch visited him with his wife only a few days earlier. Something is disturbing me about that. And Sirius Black? He was pretty much the only Death Eater who never got a trial, which at that time when Voldemort was just defeated wasn't surprising but now looking back; it's kind of strange, because even people like Bellatrix Lestrange got one and especially if you think about his case. He used a spell to make explosion, I guess something along the lines of the Blasting Curse, a powerful one. Twelve Muggles and Pettigrew were killed and they could hardly be identified, yet every report I read clearly notes that all was left of Pettigrew was a finger." She was silent for a long moment.

"Well, _Confringo_ causes anything that the spell comes into contact with to explode, so I can see that effect, but surely other parts remained as well. I mean as far as I know it doesn't make a puree – for the lack of better words – out of people," she stated and he nodded.

"That's the part I don't understand. The reports go on and on how long it took to identify and put together the Muggle victims, and it is mentioned, that though they were clearly very disfigured and lacked some parts, but that never did they ever find any other body parts of Peter Pettigrew," he said thoughtfully.

"Is it just me or something is not quite right with this description?" she asked softly and he nodded. "You know what I never quite understood in the whole case either?" Albus shook his head.

"Motivation. I mean, Black might have been a Black, but he hated his whole family with passion. Or was he a spy already at the age of eleven, Albus? Because I lost counting how many times he got into a fight against his own cousins or other Slytherins. He and James... Well, it's so hard to imagine him betraying James. And why would he have done it? As far as I'm concerned he was never officially cut off, he inherited just recently everything, so why? I can't see him wanting to spend some quality time with his cousins," she said and he smiled sadly.

"Maybe he was just afraid, Minerva. Voldemort was getting stronger day by day, we both know it," he stated, but she didn't seem exactly convinced.

"I know that the Potters were targeted. Also, that's a story you still haven't told me, don't think that I forgot it. So, why then? I know that the Longbottoms and the Potters were in hiding for a year, why only then did the whole betrayal happen?" she asked curiously and he shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, until then they used different means to hide and only then did I suggest the Fidelius Charm. I offered to be the Secret Keeper, but Lily and James insisted on Sirius Black," he explained but she frowned.

"If they were so close even then, they trusted him more than they did you, and we both know that as Order members that means something, why didn't Voldemort find them sooner? Couldn't Sirius break the wards? I mean from the way Harry reacted at Sirius' name every time he was mentioned when we first took him I always imagined that Sirius was around a lot," she stated and she could have sworn that Albus found it strange as well.

"It was actually me who made the previous wards, and now that you mention it, I'm nearly positive that Sirius Black was there when we hid the house. He was a very talented wizard, right?" he turned towards her and she easily nodded. Though she knew that he had to know that as well as Black was in the Order the moment they have left school.

"Not exactly the studious type, but what others needed to practice for hours he could achieve with a flick of his wand. Much like James Potter," she agreed and he seemed exceptionally troubled.

"Even if he couldn't break the enchantments, which I doubt if he knew exactly well what he was against and if he knew well where the house was, why not just tell Voldemort, let him break the wards? Outside of Fidelius I can barely think of anything someone like him couldn't break, that was the reason why I urged them to do that spell," he said with great confusion in his voice. She didn't have an answer, but a thought fleetingly crossed her mind.

"Albus, the reason why he was so easily sentenced was because he was known to be the Potters' Secret Keeper, right? Because the Secret Keeper must willingly give up the information, so he had to be the spy as well, a Death Eater," she questioned him and he nodded along.

"Is there any chance that the Black wasn't the Secret Keeper?" she asked curiously and for a moment Albus remained unmoving, his eyes focused on the floor. Then he quickly got up and nearly literally attacked the bookcase.

"What are you doing exactly, Albus?" He didn't answer; instead he feverously looked through the old and thick volumes until he came across a smaller black tone. He opened it ignoring her questions and turned the pages quicker than she thought humanly possible. He stopped at a page and started reading soundlessly and a minute later he looked up.

"Sorry Minerva, I had to check something. I was the one to cast the Fidelius Charm, and I didn't know if the castor had to know the Secret Keeper or not. I always assumed yes, it is logical if you think about it, but I've checked and _no_. For the spell a piece of paper with the address is needed, much like the ones later on the Secret Keeper uses and whoever wrote the paper for the spell will be the Secret Keeper automatically," he stated with a grave expression.

"So, the fact that you were told by Lily and James that Sirius Black was their Secret Keeper means technically nothing. I'm rather curious though, the Ministry has spell specialists, why did they never find it strange?" she asked curiously. A humourless smile appeared on his face.

"I have a feeling Minerva, that no such person has ever even read the case file of Sirius Black. It seemed such an easy case – Pettigrew loudly blamed Black for killing the Potters who never denied anything based on the witnesses' reports and then Pettigrew disappeared with twelve dead Muggles and Black was just standing there, laughing. Not to mention that he is a Black," he said with a frown.

"Yes, but even after reading the file once did we find it strange. No one ever read it?" she asked and she was clearly upset. Albus hesitated for a moment.

"Don't forget that we knew Sirius Black well enough to look behind his surname, maximum the people who were with him at school would do other than us and they were just too young at the time to have a serious position at the Ministry," he pointed out and she felt a bit sick. Now she was more than happy to share the surname of her Muggle father.

"Will we do something, Albus?" she asked quietly and he nodded shortly.

"Tomorrow I will visit the Minister and ask her to re-open the case. If reading the file once gave us so many ideas, opening the case makes much sense," he said and she agreed with a small but tired smile on her face.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore didn't think that over the years the Minister got to like him even a bit more. No, she still saw him as her biggest political opponent, so whenever he visited her there was a small permanent scowl on her face. It wasn't anything like Severus', no, if one didn't pay attention it wasn't even noticeable, but her whole polite demeanour seemed a bit forced. He had a sinking feeling that as long as he was around major politicians would always react to him that way.

"Professor, what can I do for you?" she gestured for him to sit down and even asked if he wanted a cup of tea. She always seemed to ignore that he had a lot more and greater titles than just professor, but he wasn't about to comment on that.

"Yesterday I have read some case files of known Death Eaters and I came across something interesting," he stated and she raised her eyebrows.

"Case files?" she asked and he smiled.

"Oh, yes, as you know as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot I have the privilege to see all the convicted people's files even if they never got a trial," he started only to be interrupted.

"Yes, I know exactly well all of your... privileges, _Chief Warlock_ ," she stated and he smiled happily at her with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Great. So, I accidentally came across Sirius Black's report and I must say that I found some rather strange things in the case," he said easily, but she still stiffened and straightened. She looked at him with a dark expression.

"Yes, professor?" she asked with a bit of disdain in her voice. She obviously didn't like the topic of the conversation.

"I must first say that I myself have made a mistake, though I can't see how the Ministry's own spell experts never corrected my error. The castor of the Fidelius Charm does not need to know the Secret Keeper. So, why I named Sirius Black as the Secret Keeper, because before the charm was done the Potters told me that they want him rather than me, it still does not prove much, because they could have easily lied and the spell still would have worked. It couldn't have been me, because I didn't write the note which is needed for the spell, but other than me it could have been practically anyone," he explained the first problem and she raised her eyebrows and pressed her lips together imitating Minerva.

"I am rather impressed with you professor for acknowledging your own mistakes, but if I remember the case well Peter Pettigrew shouted that he knew that Black caused the Potters' death and Black never denied it," she stated simply with a smile of her own. "And I am sure to look into why the Ministry's experts didn't notice your mistake." He knew that convincing the Minister of opening the case again would be hard, simply because it would make the Ministry look incompetent in the public's eye, but she hardly even seemed interested in what he had to say. Was the truth not what the Ministry was seeking?

"Another thing that I've noticed is how every person points out that all was left of Pettigrew is one finger. However, most body parts of the Muggles have been found and identified. Why?" he asked simply and the Minister let out a chuckle.

"Maybe Muggle's are better equipped against a Blasting Curse? Look, professor, I don't know, but are we really talking about a case as simple as Black's? His family's role in the war is quite well-known, Bellatrix Lestrange is his cousin. What else is there to say? The Potters told you that they want him as their Secret Keeper; Pettigrew blamed him betraying their friends and even their _werewolf_ friend stated that he was told that Black was the Secret Keeper. Obviously Pettigrew found him and wanted answers and as crazy as Black was, he simply blasted everyone and then _laughed_ ," she concluded, but as easy as the story was, something didn't add up to Dumbledore now that Minerva pointed it out. Maybe this was the difference between Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, he mused – if there was logic behind it, Ravenclaws didn't question it, but Gryffindors listened to their guts and didn't care that much about logicality.

"Minister, I have some other remarks. I have never thought about a little fact before, until it was pointed out to me yesterday. I wasn't even sure of my own memories, so I have checked them since then. The Potters knew that Voldemort wanted them dead – it shouldn't be a surprise though as James Potter, the last of an old pureblood family went against every pureblood idea and married a Muggle-born and when Voldemort asked him to join the Death Eaters he refused. So, they went into hiding just before their son was born and they asked me to strengthen the wards around their house. And you know what Minister? Sirius Black was there all along and he and James Potter helped me with the wards. Black was a talented wizard, did you know? Always top of his classes without even trying and yet, even when he partook in the procedure he couldn't get Voldemort in the house until more than a year later the Fidelius Charm was done," he explained with great satisfaction when he noticed that he caught the Minister's attention. Also, he secretly liked that every time he mentioned Voldemort's name, she flinched. He mused that he should add it to every sentence at least once.

"I'm not sure where you are going with all this, professor. Let me point out a problem in your, ah, _story_. We know that Black and Pettigrew met on that street and they had a quarrel. If you say that Black couldn't be the one who betrayed the Potters than logically Pettigrew had to be. Let's say that Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper and only you didn't know about it, still Pettigrew died and Black survived killing twelve Muggles as well in the procedure, so even if he wasn't the Death Eater, he still killed thirteen people with one curse, so he is far from innocent," she said, but her answer didn't satisfy him.

"Did I mention how suspicious the whole only one finger remained thing is?" he asked with his usual smile and she flushed furiously.

"You know what? I am the Minister; I won't re-open a case of a _Death Eater_ without any direct evidence," she stated harshly and he frowned.

"What would you call direct evidence, _Minister_?" he asked curiously.

"Proof that Black didn't kill all those Muggles and Pettigrew. If I understand you, you think that it was all Pettigrew, but then he probably didn't kill himself, did he? How about Pettigrew himself or at least some evidence that he is alive, oh, and a completely logical story of how that is possible is also kind of needed," she said easily. Great, exactly what he needed. He always thought that as a Ravenclaw Bagnold listened to logic, but it seemed that years of being Minister twisted everyone, the reason why he never trusted himself with the position.

"Thank you, Minister, it was a pleasure to converse with you," he said with a smile and another just as fake appeared on her face.

"The pleasure was mine, _professor_."


	7. Muggle school

**Author's note: Hey! Thank you for reading & following & favouriting the story and special thanks to ****_roni2010_ and _Eva'sDaughter_ for reviewing.**

 **I know, I know, chances of Harry and Hermione attending the same school is rather slim, but hey, this is my story so bear with me. Also, I liked the idea how much it would change Hermione if she knew years before that she was a witch. So, she will be somewhat different and obviously that will affect the plot of the books as well. The Grangers got a pretty big role in this chapter, because I felt that they deserved the explanation at least.** **Note that the OCs in the Muggle school won't have any real role in the future.**

 **Next chapter we will be back in the magical world filled with mysteries, but I felt the need of giving Harry some Muggle ties as well. We don't want him to turn into an ignorant pure-blood fanatic, do we?**

* * *

 **–** **CHAPTER 7** **–**

 **Muggle school**

* * *

Harry Potter never would have imagined that he would enjoy going to a Muggle primary school, but he did. First of all, he had to admit that there were things in the Muggle world he liked like their clothes. Muggle clothes were a lot more comfortable than any robes or cloaks. Also, paper, pen and pencil were easier to use than parchment and quills, even if the first days he did struggle with them. Also, he quite enjoyed playing the game football, though it was certainly not as spectacular or interesting as Quidditch. All in all, he was surprised to see that he quite liked his days in school especially being around so many people around his age – as before it was always just Neville and the younger Weasleys.

Not that he made any close friends, because his grandmother's and uncles' words always rang in his ears to be careful whenever he started talking to any of his classmates. Also, it would have been a bit hard to explain to any of them why they couldn't come to his house for a play date – the excuses of the house being in somewhere North Scotland and being full of magical stuff would have surprised the other children and their parents as well. Yes, his guardians probably choose this school randomly or at least he had no idea why exactly this school in the middle of nowhere (to him). The only thing he knew that a Squib with lots of cats, a Mrs Figg lived on the end of the streets and Remus and he used her Floo Network every morning and afternoon to transport between Scotland and England.

"You know, you are pressing that pencil a bit too much to the paper," the bossy voice of one of his classmates, Hermione Granger woke him from his musings. He simply nodded as a response and didn't even turn towards the girl who had bushy brown hair and wide brown eyes and currently missing front teeth. While she was a friendly girl, she absolutely always had to be right and she was a bit too much for most of their classmates. While he didn't want to make any close friends, because of the whole magical-Muggle problem, Hermione seemed unable to make friends, period.

"You are going to break the pencil," she continued not caring much that he wasn't paying any attention to her instructions. "Also, you write number four funnily, it's not straight enough. And is that a two there? It looks like a three," she pointed out even though she shouldn't have even watched his exercise book. The thing Harry has realizes about Hermione Granger in the last few months was that she didn't exactly care about things like that as long as she could tell anyone that they made a mistake and she knew better (which was rather strange as she was always going on and on about the importance of rules).

The teacher walked up to their desk at the same moment though and Miss West had different ideas than Hermione.

"Miss Granger, please don't disturb the work of Mr Potter," she told the girl right beside Harry. While he knew that his grandmother wouldn't have been happy with him at that moment, he couldn't keep himself from smiling slightly smugly. Hermione looked at the teacher with wide eyes on the other hand. Richie Taylor started laughing cruelly at the desk next to theirs pointing at Hermione who stiffened at the laughter and Harry noticed that a tear escaped her brown eyes.

At the same moment to Harry's biggest surprise Richie stopped laughing and when he looked at the boy who frequently made fun of Hermione's over-enthusiasm he noticed that he was opening and closing his mouth as if he was trying to form words and failing to do so.

"Mr Taylor, don't laugh, please," Miss West stated firmly, though by then Richie has already stopped. The class continued for a few minutes when Andy, the boy sitting right next to Richie interrupted Miss West.

"Excuse me Miss West, Richie wrote me a note. He can't speak," Andy even showed the teacher the piece of paper and when Miss West turned towards the aforementioned boy and asked if Andy was right, he nodded furiously and even started the whole mouth opening-closing thing again. Harry watched the scene with great interest, especially when Miss West left the classroom for a second only to ask another teacher to take Richie to the school doctor. While Harry knew well, that even Muggles could lose the ability to speak – he has caught a cold before – it reminded him very much of magic. When his grandma was frustrated with his Uncle Al she frequently silenced him only for his uncle to easily reverse the spell without even using his wand. However, while he didn't exactly like Richie he was nearly sure that it wasn't him who silenced him.

* * *

It was a few months later, close to the Easter holiday that Harry once again thought that someone might be doing magic in his class. He explained the last case to his Uncle Remus who said to him that while Richie might have lost his voice to a simple illness (especially as he got it back only a few hours later), maybe it was him or there might be another magical child in the classroom even if the chances of that were small.

He asked his grandmother and his Uncle Albus to look through the names of his classmates in hope of finding the magical child, but not one of the surnames was familiar to either of them, so they concluded that if there was another magical child there than it had to be a Muggle-born or their surname must have come from a Muggle parent.

That Tuesday started like all the others. Harry was still working on his drawing when the Art class finished and Hermione Granger had a book in her hands as always. He wasn't paying much attention to her though, because the reason of why he was still working on the project was that he was rather conflicted. The task was to draw 'something magical' and he wasn't exactly sure how precise he should be when it came to the magical world.

At the exact same moment Jenny Smith was going around the classroom with her friends right behind her, all very loud and girly. Their hair colours varied from light blonde to dark brown and they weren't the exact height, but other than that they were hard to distinguish to Harry even though he has known them for months.

"Oh, Jenny, I can't believe it, it's going to be the best birthday party ever," one of her friends, Melly, he concluded, said rather loudly. He sighed with irritation losing focus for a second when he was working hard on a phoenix trying to imitate Fawkes' proud and beautifully colourful nature. He noticed that Hermione looked up as well.

"Yes, can you believe it? There will be a balloon modelling and face painting," one of the more distinguishable girls, Amy squealed. (Her voice was more high-pitched than any of the others' and her hair was so light blonde, it was nearly white.)

"Of course there will be," Jenny said as it was obvious. "My Daddy said that his Princess deserves everything." Harry lost focus entirely and leaned back knowing that until the girls quietened or went away he wouldn't be able to finish his drawing. He looked up and caught the baby blue eyes of Jenny.

"Oh, Harry, your invitation," she said with a wide smile and gave a pink envelope to him to his greatest surprise. He couldn't remember ever really talking to Jenny so he was a bit more than surprised to be invited.

"Thanks, Jenny," he said with a smile, after all she was kind to invite him. The girls behind Jenny giggled. The whole group turned around and left. He put down the envelope on his desk and turned back towards his project, but he caught sight of the red eyes of one Hermione Granger.

"Hey, is everything okay?" he asked with some concern not knowing what to do or say (as he was not used to crying girls, his grandma never really cried and Ginny certainly wasn't the type to shed tears – she had six older brothers after all). Hermione nodded while she wiped off her tears with her pullover.

"Ca-can I see the invitation?" she asked softly and he nodded while he passed the pink envelope to her not understanding entirely why she needed it. However, the moment she opened it she started crying again. Harry was about to ask exactly what was going on when Jenny appeared at their table seemingly out of nowhere. Hasn't she already left before?

"Oh, have I forgotten to invite you to my party?" she asked sweetly from Hermione who stopped crying at the exact same moment and she nodded with a small smile on her face which was tomato red – Harry just wasn't sure if it was from crying or from embarrassment. "You know I didn't forget, I simply didn't invite you," she said cruelly and she flashed a wide smile to Hermione who looked feverish at the revelation. Harry felt pity towards the girl instantly.

"Could I give my invitation to her, Jenny?" he asked softly. It wasn't like he wanted to go so much to a girl's Muggle birthday party – emphasis on _girl_. (One he didn't even know or like much, really.) Jenny looked at him for a moment and then she laughed loudly.

"No, your name is on it, isn't it?" she asked and pointed to the envelope which had HARRY on it with bold pink letters only to change at that moment to HERMIONE. Jenny let out a scream obviously not expecting that so Harry quickly realized that it wasn't some special Muggle envelope, so it must have been magic, he concluded. Hermione paled and raised the envelope with shaking hands.

"That's my name on it," she said with awe, but Jenny ripped the envelope from her hands and tore the whole thing.

"I don't know what you did, but you won't come to my party," Jenny shrieked and stormed away with the parts of the invitation still in her hands which she dumped into the first bin she found. Harry and Hermione remained seated, none of them saying a word. He looked at her curiously. While he pitied her when Jenny didn't want to invite her, he didn't think that it was him who changed the name. He usually felt something when he did accidental magic – just like the last time when changed one of his teacher's wig blue when she blamed him for something Richie did. He felt the rush of magic in his veins, he felt power and he was extremely angry for being shouted at when he did not do anything wrong.

However, if it wasn't him, someone else had to be. Hermione seemed like the only logical explanation. He looked at the girl sitting right next to him and tried to decide if she could be the magical child he was looking for or not. He quickly realized that he wasn't even sure what he was looking for – he himself didn't look any different than the other children in the classroom and yet he knew that he was a wizard.

"What do your parents work?" he asked curiously, not that she would tell him they were a witch and a wizard respectively even if they were magical, but maybe he could get some information out of her. Hermione seemed rather surprised by the question and muttered something like "Dentists, work with teeth," under her breath.

* * *

The same day when he was sitting at the dining table waiting for the dinner, he turned towards his grandmother who was just setting the table.

"Auntie," he started knowing that calling him grandma or granny would earn him a lecture on how important it was to pretend not to be related to her. "How do you know who are Muggle-borns?" Her grandma put down another plate and looked at him with a curious expression.

"There is a magical quill and a book at Hogwarts which was created by the four founders with very complicated magic that writes down the name of every child in Great Britain and Ireland who performed accidental magic, therefore have the abilities to learn at the school," she explained and Harry brightened at that.

"Does that mean that if someone has already done magic then their name is in that book?" he asked carefully, not wanting to misunderstand his grandmother. Minerva nodded easily and Harry's smile widened.

"Aunt Minerva, could you check the book for me sometimes in the near future?" he asked softly and she stiffened.

"Harry, we both know that you are magical. If that last stunt with your poor teacher's wig didn't prove it, then a countless other events did," she stated firmly but he just shook his head.

"I know I am, Auntie. I know that the reason why everyone thinks my name is _Henry_ is because I'm even a famous wizard, but I think that one of my classmates is a witch. Her name is Hermione Granger and she was placed next to me and I think she has performed accidental magic twice since we started school," he explained and her expression softened.

"Harry, if she is sitting right next to you, don't you think that you might be doing what you give her credit for?" she asked, but he just shook his head.

"Please, Aunt Min, just check it. I think it would be good for her to know if she was a witch, she doesn't really have many friends, she is a bit... different," he stated and she looked at him with her famous Professor McGonagall look.

"Why don't you befriend her, then?" she asked simply and he shifted his weight.

"Well, if she was a witch then it would be easier. You know how I'm always afraid of giving away the magical world," he used the card he knew would make his grandmother check that book. He wasn't surprised when she sighed and agreed to see if Hermione Granger really was a witch.

* * *

During the next dinner when he first saw his grandmother that day, (okay, only he was eating dinner as both his guardians has already eaten at Hogwarts) he asked the question which kept him alarmed the whole day.

"Did you check the book?" he asked rather curiously not caring that he received a look from his grandmother for trying to eat and talk at the same time. Uncle Al looked at him with clear amusement in his eyes.

"I did, Harry," she said easily with a small smile playing on her lips.

"And?" he asked trying to get the answer he wanted to hear so much.

"Well, let's just say that you have met another of your future classmates at Hogwarts," her smile widened and Harry jumped up from the table quickly earning a chuckle from both of his guardians.

"I knew it, I knew it," he said excitedly. He wasn't sure why as he already knew a few magical child and even future classmates such as Neville and Ron. Still, it made him quite proud of himself that he recognized Hermione's magic and it was somewhat different he guessed, because probably even Hermione herself didn't know about her abilities or future educational possibilities.

"If you would sit down Harry then I could share some more information with you," she said in her usual teacher tone. He did what he was told to, because he was quite curious about what else she wanted to say and the dinner was quite delicious (as it was directly taken from Hogwarts and made by the legendary house-elves).

"Your uncle and I decided that it might do some good to young Miss Granger and especially to her parents if they were made aware of her abilities. Usually Muggle-borns are only told of their magic when they become old enough to attend Hogwarts, but as you most probably going to be her classmate until the end of primary school, it make sense. So, I've decided to speak with Mr and Mrs Granger," she explained and Harry nodded enthusiastically.

"If you would like, you could come with me when I talk to Miss Granger and her parents, it might help them a bit, but you must go with the usual story, being Henry McGonagall, understood?" she asked and he nodded with a serious expression, but he was rather excited. He always wanted to go with his grandmother when she introduced Muggle-borns to the magical world, but she has never let him before.

* * *

Minerva transfigured her clothes to Muggle ones, her travelling clock now looked like a coat instead, while Harry owned several pieces of Muggle clothing since he started primary school (and she was amused to find that even at home now he used those instead of the traditional wizarding ones). They were standing in the door of the Granger family and while she has informed parents of Muggle-borns about their children's abilities countless times before, with Harry right next to her, she couldn't help but be nervous a bit. She ringed and hoped that the Grangers were at home that Saturday. The house itself was a well-maintained one, a lot like all the other houses in the neighbourhood, but with the nice garden it had a homey feeling.

The door opened and a woman in her middle to late thirties opened it. While she has never met young Miss Granger before based on Harry's description the girl didn't take after her mother whose hair was a very dark shade of brown and had eyes similar to hers.

"Hello! Can I help you with anything?" she asked with a friendly smile. Minerva nodded and matched her expression.

"Hello. My name is Minerva McGonagall and this is my nephew here, Henry, though you might have heard about him as Harry. Harry is your daughter's classmate," she explained and Mrs Granger seemed surprised, but continued smiling when Harry politely greeted her.

"I didn't know that Hermione planned something for today," Mrs Granger stated honestly and Minerva shook her head.

"No, don't worry; your daughter didn't organize anything. However, I think we have much to talk about, but could we go in? It's not exactly a topic for outside," she suggested and Mrs Granger invited them in. With the prospect of tea Minerva and Harry were seated in the living-room. A bushy haired little girl stormed into the room with a pile of books in her arms only to stop when she noticed the guests.

"Hi Hermione," Harry greeted his classmate happily who looked at him with wide eyes.

"Hi Harry," she said eventually with a blush obviously embarrassed by the fact that her classmate and some stranger (a grown-up no less) were there.

"Hermione, this is my Aunt Minerva. Auntie, this is Hermione Granger," Harry introduced them to each other.

"Miss Granger, it's a pleasure to meet you," Minerva stated after the little girl greeted her somewhat shyly. As with every Muggle-born she has ever met Minerva tried to guess into which House the girl will be sorted. Based on what she has so far seen about her and been told through Harry, she guessed Ravenclaw, though as the girl was a lot younger than the Hogwarts age, so that might still easily change.

Mr Granger joined the party as well and the greetings and introductions happened and after both parents were in the room and tea was served Minerva turned towards the parents who were obviously surprised by the visit. She noted that Hermione took after her father with the same colouring, brown hair and eyes.

"I suppose we have never met, because Harry is usually goes to school with one of his uncles, mainly, because while I'm his guardian, I teach at a school myself," she started and by the looks she knew that the Grangers thought that this was just part of the introduction. "Harry a few days ago told me that your daughter tend to do special things." At that Hermione blushed and she muttered something under her breath. Mrs Granger looked at Minerva strangely.

"I'm not sure what you are talking about Mrs McGonagall," she stated and Minerva nodded.

"It's actually Miss, but I'm mostly used to the title Professor McGonagall. As I said I'm a teacher at a school and we teach children with special talent like your daughter's," she said and both parents looked at her with clear surprise now.

"Look, Miss... Professor McGonagall. I'm not sure what school you are from, but we already know that Hermione is academically rather talented and the teachers at school gave us quite some options if she keeps up the work," Mrs Granger said and Minerva just shook her head.

"While Harry mentioned that Miss Granger is quite intelligent I was actually talking about a rather different talent. Usually your family would only be informed when your child is eleven, but as Harry recognized the signs, I've came to the conclusion that it might do some good for both you and your daughter to know the truth rather sooner than later. Your daughter has magic," she said simply and both parents jumped up just as they usually did at that point. She looked curiously to Hermione who paled and was watching Harry with wide eyes.

"I must ask you not to say things like that. Hermione is already in school, I don't want her to have strange ideas about the world. We all know that magic doesn't exist," Mr Granger stated and Minerva slowly got up as well, but gestured to Harry that he should remain seated.

"No, Mr Granger. I'm perfectly well-informed and I must say that there is such a thing as magic, only those who don't posses it don't know about the magical world. Since the Middle Ages when non-magical people turned against the magical community, the wizarding world has been hidden from the non-magical which we call Muggle," she informed the parents who shared a look. "And before you think otherwise, I'm not crazy and what I have just told you is completely true. I'm a witch and my nephew is a wizard just as your daughter is a witch, the only difference that your daughter was born into a non-magical family, while both Harry and I had a magical family," she said simply.

"I would like to ask you to leave my house, Miss McGonagall," Mr Granger firmly said, but Minerva just shook her head. Instead she easily shifted into her animagus form, a tabby cat which earned the shrieks she thought it would and then she changed back into human.

"What you have just seen is example of transfiguration, the art of changing an object or person into something else, the subject I teach at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the future school of your daughter if you accept her abilities," she stated.

"That's-that's some type of trick," Mr Granger stated and Minerva had a small smile on her face.

"Really? Then what would you like to see? Levitating sofa? Tea pouring itself? Coffee table turned into a chicken? I'm capable of many things, Mr Granger," she stated simply and had her wand in her hand. Both Granger parents seemed shocked, but to her greatest surprise Hermione Granger was obviously braver than she gave her credit – maybe a future Lion? The young girl stepped closer to her.

"Could you really turn our coffee table into a chicken?" she asked curiously and Minerva smiled.

"Auntie Min can turn it into any animal you choose, Hermione," Harry said confidentially and Minerva raised her eyebrows.

"Proud of your aunt, Harry?" she asked with a smile and her grandson winked at her.

"Of course, Auntie," he agreed. "Though Uncle Albus might be even better than you," he said with a wide grin and she rolled her eyes knowing that Harry was just teasing her. She turned back towards Hermione who watched their exchanged curiously.

"Harry can do things like that too?" she asked curiously and Minerva laughed while Harry crossed his arms.

"Not yet. Just as you, he is still too young to learn magic, but yes, both of you will be capable one day," she stated. The Grangers seemed to wake up from their shock at the mention of their daughter changing their table into a bird, which Minerva easily done with a quick spell. It was a rather good work she praised herself as the chicken started running around the living-room looking exactly like it was supposed to. She easily reversed the spell and placed the table back where it stood (because her bird was pretty quick to escape). Hermione seemed to like her performance much, while her parents a little less.

"Only transfig, Auntie? What about charms?" Harry asked innocently, but she just shook her head with a smile on her face and focused on the rather lost parents of Hermione Granger.

"I know this is much to take in at once. As the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts I have been informing parents of Muggle-borns for years and trust me, your reaction is better than most parents'," she simply said. "Should we sit down and talk about the details? I'm sure you would like to know what this means for your daughter." The Grangers reluctantly nodded. Minerva poured the tea into cups just to give Harry the charms he wanted to see.

"So, your daughter was born with magic. While magic-users have been around as long as non-magical folk we don't study biology and heredity as much as you do, so I'm sorry to say that even now I can't say why it is possible of two non-magical, Muggle parents to have a magical child, a Muggle-born. If one of the parents have magic the chances of the child inheriting it is great, but even two magical people can have a non-magical child. So, it is quite complicated and rather unknown. Probably in your ancestry someone had magic and it has skipped a few generations until young Hermione received it," she explained and Hermione beamed at the end probably liking the fact that out of her entire family she was the only special one.

"As I stated magic is capable of lot of things what you, Muggles would say impossible. I myself grew up in a Muggle household, so I know what I'm talking about when I say that magical people tend to overstep the boundaries of physics about hundred times a day," she said and at that Hermione even straightened. The young girl obviously liked the sound of being able to do things others found impossible. Her parents on the other hand seemed a bit hesitant about that.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure that changing a non-living object into a living one like you have just done with our table should be impossible," Mrs Granger offered shyly and Minerva nodded.

"And that was just one example. We levitate things, we can make objects with a spell explode; we change one thing to another. We also have countless magical creatures you would think only exist in fairy tales – fairies included. An entire magical world exists parallel to the Muggle world and as you can see the two fairly often meet. Harry recognized Hermione as a witch; because she did accidental magic which is uncontrolled magic usually caused by great emotions." At that Hermione blushed probably remembering what she has done exactly.

"So, there is obviously such a thing as magical teacher. Are there doctors, police officers, ministry workers, lawyers and all other things as well?" Mrs Granger asked curiously and Minerva nodded.

"Yes, as I said we practically have an entire society and not only in Great Britain, but everywhere else in the world, though the number of magical people compared to Muggles is quite low," she stated and at that Mr Granger smiled.

"So, our Hermione is special?" he asked and now Harry nodded.

"Yes, and magic is great. You will love it Hermione," Harry turned towards his classmate who nodded happily.

"What does being born with magic mean to our daughter?" Mrs Granger asked Minerva curiously.

"That in one way or another she must learn to control her magic. It's like energy in you which is building up. As children become older and older their magic is growing and maturing with them, so for example in the future accidental magic is going to be even more frequent. Actually, many don't even show the signs of magic until much later. However, if she doesn't learn to control it, it can be dangerous to her and others. So, that's why I recommend magical education to her, but as her parents you can always choose to send her to Muggle secondary school and teach her magic with a private tutor. It's fairly rarely done, mainly because most children once introduced to the magical world feel that they belong there – and they do. Also, the only difference is that if you have a magical education than you can get a magical job and career later on instead of a Muggle," she explained and the Grangers nodded.

"And the educational system? How does that work?" Mr Granger asked curiously.

"There are eleven long-established and prestigious magical schools in the world and a few smaller ones, though I wouldn't suggest them, because they are not well-regulated. So many countries don't have one. I'm proud to say that one of the best, if not the greatest of all is in Great Britain, more precisely in Scotland. Hogwarts was established about a thousand years ago. It's a boarding school in which young witches and wizards learn from the age of eleven until seventeen for seven years. We teach all the basic branches of magic, such as Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Potions and a variety of others electives included. At the end of their seventh year the students take some serious exams which will conclude their magical studies, though some jobs require further studying, for example aurors which are somewhere between secret agents and police officers learn for additional three years at the Auror Academy to where only a selected few with remarkable grades can get in," she explained and watched the young girl in awe. She obviously liked the idea of Hogwarts. Her parents seemed to accept already that their daughter was special, which was always a good sign, she mused.

"Would it be possible for us to get some books about the magical world and Hogwarts?" Mrs Granger asked curiously and Minerva nodded.

"How about on Monday Harry will give your daughter some books which I will transfigure to look like ordinary Muggle books, so no one will be the wiser? Also, if you have any question, don't hesitate. Harry goes to school every day with his Uncle Remus who is a wizard himself. He would be happy to help you with anything, I assure you," she said which made Harry grin. The Grangers nodded hesitantly.

"Also, if you don't mind then I'm sure that Harry would love to tell about the magical world to your daughter. Right, Harry?" she turned towards her grandson who nodded happily. Not that she was surprised, most probably that was the reason why he asked her to check Hermione's abilities – he wanted to tell everything about the magical world to someone who didn't know about it. She understood it in a way; she always found informing the Muggle-borns interesting. "Though, please try not to inform the entire Muggle world as well," she asked Harry who had a mischievous smile and winked at her.

"Don't worry, Auntie, I'm a good boy and I know the rules." Right, Harry and the rules – she already feared the time when he would attend Hogwarts.


	8. Living rat

**Author's note:** **Hey! Thank you for reading, following and favouriting the story and special thanks to** ** _roni2010_ for reviewing.**

 **Note that the spell to change the rat yellow comes from _Harry Potter and the Philisopher's Stone_ by J. K. Rowling.**

 **Yes, Remus got his own point of view as well - I thought it made more sense than Harry's for this chapter. Tonks's appearance will be important for many reasons, but while I do ship RL/NT, note that she is only fifteen here, so in the near future nothing will happen between the two characters.**

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 **–** **CHAPTER 8** **–**

 **Living rat**

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"Oh, here they are!" Remus stepped out of the fireplace into the kitchen of the Burrow and turned towards the loud voice which greeted him. He smiled at Molly Weasley who impatiently waited for Harry who this time wanted to use the Floo network alone. Remus just prayed that he didn't lose his nephew, because he knew that Minerva would kill him. However, only a moment later green flames were dancing in the fireplace of the Burrow and then Harry stumbled out of it. He caught his nephew easily and steadied him.

Before he could congratulate the boy, the freshly seven-year-old Harry was attacked by something very red which turned out to be the youngest Weasley, Ginny. She was a year younger than Harry and Remus thought that she fancied Harry as only a six-year-old could. After Ginny let him breathe, Molly hugged Harry tightly and congratulated him, only to leave when she glanced at the clock in the kitchen which now showed: _"Time to feed the chickens."_

Usually when Remus took Harry to a play date either to Mrs Longbottom, the Grangers or to the Weasleys, he left Harry behind, but today he decided against going anywhere. Mainly because his last girlfriend just broke his heart a day ago, and he knew himself well enough not to want to be alone that day – he was brooding enough even with Harry around, the only person who was always able to make him feel better. Also, the Weasleys' enthusiasm and huge grins were exactly what he needed after heartbreak. They were the type of family where something always happened and one couldn't exactly slip into depression around them.

"Hello, Harry..." One of the twins appeared in the kitchen and picked up a biscuit from the counter. As they were identical Remus had a hard time guessing which was which. When he found a way to tell them apart, they started on their usual banter mixing themselves up and once again, Remus was lost.

"Poor Harry doesn't know it yet that he has been replaced by another Harry," the other continued after appearing out of nowhere only to get the biscuit out of his twin's hand, who was just about to eat it.

"Hey, Gred!" The victim of the action cried out, but then he noticed the rest of the biscuits and simply picked up another one.

Harry frowned at the strange greeting while Ginny blushed furiously. Remus just looked at the pair of brothers fondly, but with a sad smile on his face – they always reminded him of two other pranksters, one who was now dead and another in prison.

"I'm not sure what you are talking about," Harry pointed out and the twins shared a confidential look and identical smiles appeared on their faces. Just from that expression Remus had an idea where this conversation was going – he probably spent too much time around people like the Weasley twins in his life, he concluded.

"Oh, Ginny here just realized that the Boy-Who-Lived is only a year older than her," one started and the other continued. "...and as every Weasley she most probably will end up Gryffindor. Also according to like the entire wizarding world Harry Potter himself will be a Gryffindor too, so she started planning their wedding." Ginny stormed out of the room with face just as red as her hair while Harry himself blushed furiously. The twins probably thought that it was for 'loosing Ginny's heart', but Remus who knew exactly who Harry was, knew better – Ginny Weasley according to her brothers had started planning her wedding to the Harry right in front of him. (Not that she could have known, of course.)

However, to Harry's and Remus's biggest surprise a third Weasley twin entered the room just after Ginny has left it. Remus himself thought for a moment that he simply wasn't familiar with this Weasley child, probably one of the older ones who didn't spend so much time with Harry as the younger children, but then he realized that he was simply a carbon copy of the two other twins already in the room. Polyjuice Potion? He wasn't sure, but his wand was already out – the problem was, he wasn't sure which out of the three wasn't real. The fact that the other two didn't seem troubled by the appearance of a third one didn't help at all.

The one, who entered after the two other started laughing, closed his eyes and frowned and to the guests' even bigger surprise he turned into an older looking _girl_. If Remus had to guess the girl was around fifteen with dark green eyes and bubblegum pink spiky hair. She grinned at their expression.

"Wotcher," she simply stated and the twins' grins widened. The unusual hair colour reminded him of someone and he quickly realised who was in front of him. He didn't find a more logical answer – it had to be.

"Nymphadora," he greeted her and he smiled when her surprise made him sure of his conclusion. But it made sense as the last time he saw her was just out of school and then she was five. Plus that pink hair was hard to forget and Metamorphmagi made more sense than a fifteen-year-old possessing and using Polyjuice Potion during the summer holiday just for the heck of it. She didn't seem to recognize him, not that he was surprised as she was rather young when they last met after all.

"That's a dreadful name, so if you don't want me to hex you, don't ever call me that again," she stated and she even raised her wand at him in warning, but there was a wide smile on her face, which made the threat no more than a playful warning. Harry and the twins were watching them curiously. She turned towards Harry and winked.

"Hey, don't listen to him whoever he is, I'm Tonks," she said easily.

"Henry McGonagall, but everyone calls me Harry," his nephew introduced him easily and she looked at him funnily.

"McGonagall, huh? Never knew Minnie had it in her," she laughed. Harry blushed and shrugged.

"She adopted me after my parents died in the war," Harry said softly the sentence they have practiced million times before with him. It was basically true, so when he was younger it made sense for him to learn only one version of the happenings and it stuck. "Do you know my Uncle Remus?" Remus was ready to introduce himself but then the girl frowned and tilted her head then there was recognition in her eyes which from a green colour changed into a gray and looked exactly like Sirius Black's at that moment. Had she had black hair, she would have fit right into the Black family.

"You used to babysit me," she said with a blush which quickly disappeared from her face, so he guessed, she morphed it away. He just nodded with a smile and noticed that she didn't say the name which was obviously on her mind and which made her eye colour change. Not that it surprised him. Her mother was Andromeda Tonks, Sirius's older cousin and he knew that the pair had a rather close relationship, closer at least than what Sirius had with his own brother. So, his betrayal must have hurt Andromeda and it seemed that her daughter as well.

"Remus Lupin. It's nice to see you again, Nym- I mean, Tonks," he re-introduced himself. It was hard to believe that the little girl who made Sirius dress in a pink ballet tutu was now a teenager, nearly out of school. But then again, Harry was already seven and day they found James in absolute shock after being told that he was going to be a father, was still fresh on his mind.

"It is," she simply said and then she turned towards Harry who still looked at her with wide eyes. Not that it surprised Remus; while his nephew did grow up in a magical household he wasn't even sure if he has ever heard of Metamorphmagi. It was a very rare talent, now that he thought of it probably Nymphadora was the only one in the whole country at the moment who possessed it.

"How did you do it?" he asked curiously with a glint in his green eyes which always reminded Remus of James. While Harry's eyes were completely his mother's (even though they were changed into a lighter shade now), that troublemaker glint and expression certainly came from his father. When he looked like that, it was hard to imagine that Remus hasn't travelled in time and the boy in front of him wasn't a seven-year-old James Potter.

"I'm cool like that," Nympadora or as she called herself, Tonks answered with a shrug. Remus noted that while watching the pair, the real Weasley twins slipped out of the room. She winked at Harry and her hair changed into the same red colour of the Weasley family and it started to grow, only to reach her shoulders in slight waves. She also changed her eyes to the same colour Harry now had and while the exact shades weren't right, she suddenly reminded Remus very much of Lily.

"It's called Metamorphmagi," she started explaining it to Harry while Remus turned a bit away. It was one thing to see Harry every day who shared his father's appearance, but thanks to Minerva's transfiguration and the long years, he was used to that. But Lily was a different matter. If her hair and eyes were a bit darker, she could have been Lily's twin. He noted that even their features were similar – though, it might have been only because the years of not seeing her made him forgot exactly how she looked.

"Can I learn it?" Harry asked the obvious question to which Tonks shook her head with a fond smile.

"Sorry, kiddo, but it's something you have to be born with. Though, you will learn about human transfiguration in school, but it won't ever come as easily to you as it comes to me, I'm afraid," she said and then she started explaining what she was capable of exactly. Remus lost track of the conversation and when he heard some rather strange noises coming from somewhere downstairs he didn't think twice about leaving the pair behind.

He slipped into the living room to investigate exactly what was going on. Though, it probably had more to do with the fact that he hoped that by the time he rejoined the pair, Tonks would once again have pink hair. The living room was cosy with a sofa and armchairs and much of the space was taken by a large fireplace. Even before entering the room he caught some words, but the moment he saw the three brothers everything made sense.

Percy Weasley, the third oldest of the boys, the one who was just about to enter Hogwarts was shouting with his twin younger brothers.

"That's my wand!" he said angrily while one of the twins was taunting him with the wand in his hands. "Is it?"

"Boys," Remus joined the party. He looked at the twins who didn't look ashamed at all, while Percy looked at him pleadingly.

"Mr Lupin, please, they-they took _my_ wand," the eleven-year-old stated with wide eyes pointing at the pair of younger children. Remus raised his own wand to simply disarm the boy with the wand, who from his guesses was Fred. However, he watched with interest as the boy pointed the wand he has stolen to a rat on the table Remus didn't even notice before.

 _"_ _Sunshine, daisies,_

 _butter mellow,_

 _turn this stupid,_

 _fat rat yellow."_

Obviously the rat didn't turn yellow, though there was a small puff of wind. Remus chuckled.

"You do realize boys, that this is not a real spell, right?" he asked with a smile. While of course he knew that the sensible thing would be to simply take the wand from the twins, give it back to Percy and tell Molly that not only did the twins stole their brother's wand, they tried to use it as well, but he had to admit, he quite enjoyed the show. He might have been a grown-up, but those days in school weren't that far away – days filled with magic and mischief.

The twin with the wand shrugged and winked at Remus while the other laughed as well.

"Freddie, you still have to work on your spell-crafting abilities," the other who had to be George teased his brother. Remus turned towards Percy whose face was nearly as red as his hair, so he knew that he had to bring some order and justice to the room.

"Boys, please give back the wand to Percy and apologize to him. Also, that is your brother's pet, isn't it? You shouldn't be doing magic on it, and you should especially not use spells on it, that you had created yourselves," he stated. He pointed his wand towards the general direction of the rat to check if the twins' made-up spell did anything bad to him only to notice that the pet has disappeared.

"Percy, where is your rat?" he asked with a frown and watched as all three boys started looking for the rodent. He was the first to notice as he spent many of his school years looking for one. The rat was already by the door, so he simply shut it with a quick spell knowing that once it was out of the room it would be rather hard to find it. He levitated the rat once it stopped moving for a moment and he was able to fire a spell at it, and he caught it easily.

The rat didn't look any different than most he has ever seen. But the moment it was in his hands Remus noticed something which might have as well stunned him without any spells. The rat was very familiar even if rather common looking, but what convinced him was that it was missing a finger. Before he could even realize what was happening the rat bit him and in an automatic reaction he let it fall.

"Scabbers," Percy shouted and tried to catch the rat himself jumping after it.

Remus needed a moment to shook himself, but he knew what he needed to do. Chances were that he was wrong; he knew well that Peter was dead, but even Dumbledore and McGonagall found the Pettigrew-Black case strange. He also heard that Dumbledore even went to the Minister two years ago to ask her two re-open the case. If someone like Albus Dumbledore felt the need to look into the matter, then who was he not to?

They all mastered the spell to reverse the effects of Animagi not long after the first time the others were able to turn into their new animal forms. Sirius liked his canine form so much that they felt he abused it sometimes; he had a habit of licking everyone and running around the school as Padfoot, so they felt the need to know how to turn the others back. It was a rather advanced spell just as the original magic was, but it didn't matter much to the Marauders.

He wasn't surprised to see that Percy was unable to catch the rat. Other than Sirius and his mania of licking them that was the exact reason why they learned the reversal spell – Peter in his rat form always got away. He pointed the wand on the moving form and prayed to all deities he has ever heard of that he could hit the rodent. Without saying a word, a light blue light left the tip of his wand and to his greatest surprise it hit the rat.

The second the spell hit, he knew that he was right. If it was just a normal rat, nothing would have happened. However, a head shot upwards from the ground, limbs were sprouting and only a moment later a man was standing right where the rodent had just been. To complicate matters the door opened and Molly Weasley stepped into the room with a calm expression which turned into utter confusion and fear when she noticed Pettigrew. Once Remus glanced at him, he knew that he was right. Not that there were many rat Animagi in the world (he would be surprised if there was even another), but he instantly recognized his friend.

"W-what," one of the twins stuttered. He noticed how the three brothers moved closer to each other and Percy as the oldest held both of his younger brothers close to him. Remus pointed his wand at Peter who seemed just as surprised as everyone else – he was nearly as stunned as those who didn't anticipate a rat turning into a human. Molly was a lioness though and when she thought that her cubs could be in danger she was a force to be reckoned with.

"What is going on here? Who is this man, Remus?" she asked.

"Peter, what _is_ going on here?" he pressed his friend. Though, with how Peter was standing right before him and he was alive, Remus probably should already consider him only a former friend. He simply couldn't have been alive without something strange and abnormal going on.

Peter didn't seem to adapt well to living as a rat, because he seemed years older than his age suggested. Also, he looked at Remus with fear and utter disbelief; there was no longing, love or happiness in his expression.

Before he could have done anything Peter turned into a rat again. This time though, he was standing rather close to the door which was wide open thanks to Molly who wasn't holding a wand in her hand. Remus was only a second late when he tried to close the door, the rat slipped right through the small creek. With another quick move he opened the door and this time Molly seemed to realize that something big was going on and she got hold of her own as well. Remus ran out of the room only to see that he has lost track of the rat.

He used _Homenum Revelio_ , but it didn't exactly help with all the Weasleys around the house. He quickly sealed the door which led to the garden, but he had a feeling that he was too late. He conjured his patronus and sent a message to Dumbledore. _"Come to the Burrow quickly. Notify the Ministry. I've met a dead man – Pettigrew was at the Burrow."_

He re-entered the living room where Molly was trying to understand what has just happened.

"Remus," she greeted him with a strange expression. She obviously thought that he had something to do with the Pettigrew accident, which saddened him a bit as they have met countless times over the last few years thanks to the friendship between Harry and Ron.

"It was _Scabbers_ , Mum," Percy tried to explain, though it didn't seem that Molly understood much from it even if she saw Pettigrew change back into a rat.

"I've notified Dumbledore and he will do the same with the Ministry, I believe," he simply stated, but from her expression, he gathered, that she would need a longer explanation. But before that could have happened there was a loud knock coming from the entrance door. Molly looked at her boys, but then she started walking towards the door. Remus followed her; having a feeling that he knew who came.

Before either of them could have reached the door it was opened by Tonks.

"Professor Dumbledore," she greeted the man cheerfully.

"Miss Tonks, do you know where Mr Lupin is?" he asked with his usual amused smile and twinkle in his eyes, but when Remus stepped forward, he noticed that Dumbledore's cheerfulness seemed rather forced.

"The Aurors are going to be here soon. Care to tell me what has happened?" he asked and Tonks was looking between the two of them, while Molly muttered something.

"Ah, Molly, would you please ask Arthur to come home? I think that he will be needed as well," Dumbledore asked and Molly nodded before disappearing into the kitchen. Tonks closed the door behind Dumbledore and went after Molly, probably where she has left Harry.

 _Harry_ – if Peter was still there and he has done something (other than not dying of course) then it was logical that he would go after the Boy-Who-Lived. He only relaxed when he realized that Peter couldn't have known that Henry McGonagall was in fact Harry Potter. Not when the Weasleys didn't know it either. All they knew was that McGonagall adopted her late goddaughter's son and she hired Remus as babysitter.

"Remus, would you please tell me what you meant by your message? Pettigrew is really alive and you saw him?" Remus gestured towards the living-room which he was happy to see that was now completely empty. Probably the boys joined their mother in the kitchen. He sat down to one of the armchairs and Dumbledore took place in another one close by. He only now noted that the coffee table was full of used first year books. Percy himself was probably trying out some spells when the twins took his wand.

"Peter was- _is_ an... Animagus," he started and Dumbledore looked at him with wide eyes. The day has come when Dumbledore was utterly shocked, Remus mused.

"Animagi is a rather complicated piece of magic and if I remember well, Peter Pettigrew wasn't a very talented wizard," he answered simply and Remus smiled humourlessly.

"He might not have been, but James Potter and Sirius Black sure were - more than simply talented, really. They all learned Animagi to help me with the transformations," he stated and Dumbledore nodded in understanding. It didn't surprise Remus that the headmaster understood the implications without a question. He taught Transfiguration after all – he probably knew much more about Animagi then Remus himself.

"You are telling me, that Peter Pettigrew is alive and he was hiding in his Animagus form. Which is?" he asked and Remus nodded.

"A rat. One which Percy Weasley has kept as his pet, Scabbers," he stated and realization downed on Dumbledore by the look on his face.

"Where is he now?" Remus smiled wryly.

"Knowing him? On the continent or maybe in America," he chuckled without meaning it. Dumbledore nodded. "I sealed the door, but I'm nearly sure that he has already left before that. He was always rather quick as a rat."

"This changes everything. Who has seen Pettigrew alive?" Remus understood what his ex-professor meant right away. If Peter was alive then surely there was something wrong with Sirius's case – after all one of the reasons for his imprisonment was killing the aforementioned alive wizard.

"I have done the reversal spell, but Percy, George and Fred has seen everything and Molly has seen him as a human only to change back into a rat," he stated. Dumbledore nodded slowly.

"Three children not even at Hogwarts won't be accepted as real witnesses sadly I believe, and because of some prejudices the Wizengamot won't exactly like your testification either, but Molly's must work. Especially if you tell everyone that you have known that Pettigrew was an unregistered Animagus," Dumbledore stated.

"Won't they accuse me of something when I confess that I knew that Sirius was an Animagus and I never told anyone?" he questioned softly. He knew well how werewolves were seen by many people and he had a feeling that not one people in the Wizengamot would want him to take the blame for one reason or another. Dumbledore was silent for a few seconds.

"When you were questioned about his case have you lied about anything?" he asked and Remus shook his head in denial.

"No, none of the questions had anything to do about Sirius's or Peter's abilities in Transfiguration," he answered.

"Then I don't think that they can judge you, Remus. Especially as we both know that Sirius Black is in prison and he has never tried to use his ability to escape," Dumbledore stated.

"Well, his Animagus form is a rather big black dog, so I don't think that he could even get out without being seen," he simply stated. He was ready to ask more questions from the headmaster about what was going to happen now when they heard several different voices and Dumbledore stood up.

"I believe that the Aurors have arrived. I told them that we were looking for Peter Pettigrew – I think we should add that he must be in the form of a rat." Remus wasn't surprised to see Mad-Eye Moody leading a pair of Aurors. Moody was someone Dumbledore trusted, part of the Order of Phoenix so it was only logical that he was the first to be called.

"Alastor," Dumbledore greeted the man with a firm handshake.

"What can we do for you now, professor?" Moody grumbled good-naturedly. With the arrival of the Aurors, Remus noted that all the remaining Weasleys seemed to appear. He also noticed that the older ones had brooms in the hands, so he guessed they were outside playing Quidditch while the drama inside happened. Harry was now standing next to a once again pink-haired Tonks while Ginny was right behind his older brothers, she has been watching them after she stormed out of the kitchen thanks to the twins, he guessed.

"I think the children should leave for now, Molly, except for the three who were with Remus," Dumbledore turned towards Molly who nodded and shepherded her children and the younger guests into the kitchen. Dumbedore gestured towards the living-room and Remus once again reoccupied the room only to be followed by the Aurors.

"So, why are we here now, Albus?" Moody once again asked and Dumbledore looked at Remus.

"I have information for you about a case, more precisely about the Black-Pettigrew case," he stated and the Aurors looked at him strangely. It didn't surprise him, because that ordeal happened six years ago and it was closed right away.

"What information?" Moody asked and looked at him with his creepy mechanical eye which earned him the nickname most people used.

"Pettigrew is not dead. He was just right here, though I was so stunned that I let him escape," he stated and their reaction was priceless.

"You are saying that Peter Pettigrew who was killed by Black right after You-Know-Who's defeat is alive?" one of the younger Aurors, a man with dark hair asked with disbelief. "Though, I guess that he wasn't _killed_ then."

"Why now? Why here?" the other younger one, someone Remus actually recognized as a Ravenclaw he went to school with, asked. He was a year under Remus, but he was a prefect so he has seen him around.

"He is an Animagus. He has been since we were in school – his form is a rat," he stated simply. Molly Weasley entered the room with Percy and the twins right behind her.

"They were here as well, when I recognized Pettigrew," he gestured towards the four Weasleys.

"Tell us exactly what happened," Moody ordered Remus who did as he was told. He didn't mention the Tonks-incident, only that he heard loud voices and wandered into the living room where the twins and Percy were quarrelling.

"Why was your wand in your hand, Mr Weasley?" the dark-haired Auror turned towards Percy who was afraid to answer.

"Auror Smith, I'm sure that young Mr Weasley just wanted to try out his new wand. He wouldn't be the first one in history," Dumbledore pointed out good-naturedly and Percy visibly relaxed and he even nodded.

"I-I gave him permission to try out a spell or two as long as he did it in the living room where he was visible. He also told me that as he is most interested in Transfiguration he would like to try out something on his pet rat. I only asked him to let me check Scabbers after the spell," Molly stated firmly. Remus continued, telling about the non-existing spell where another similar row of questions were asked and Dumbledore had to stop the Aurors. He also informed the Aurors of catching the rat and recognizing it. He didn't tell them why Peter learned this branch of magic, though. However, they didn't ask and Dumbledore himself didn't seem to want to share that piece of information either. Also, as they were part of the Order together Remus knew that Moody did in fact know about his condition and he must have guessed the reason.

"You said that it looked quite ordinary, then how did you recognize it?" the one in school with Remus asked. Was his name Andrews or Anders? He didn't quite remember, but his first name started with an A as well.

"I've seen his Animagus form countless times before. It's like any other pets – one can recognize their own pets among other similar looking ones. Also, one of its fingers was missing and I knew well that the only thing that they found of Peter Pettigrew was a finger. When the rat was in my hands, I just had to try the reversal spell. If it was a normal rat, it wouldn't have hurt it after all. The children wouldn't have even known what the spell was – I was planning to tell them that I checked if it was alright after the magic which was done on it." Then he went on describing Pettigrew turning into a human and how he looked like. The children were asked some questions, but then the attention shifted to Molly who had to describe everything from her own point of view as well.

"So, how long have you had the rat, was it – ah, yes, _Scabbers_?" Moody asked Molly who looked at Percy.

"Percy found it. Well, Ginny was already alive; I remember that I was holding her in my hand when he came in with the rat. I would say that around the end of 1981? Sometimes after You-Know-Who was gone," she replied and Percy nodded.

"So, right after Pettigrew was assumed dead," Moody noted. "That's quite long for a rat to live, don't you think? I don't think most live for so long." Dumbledore agreed. It went like that what for Remus felt like hours, but maybe it wasn't more than half an hour.

"Thank you Mrs Weasley, Mr Lupin," Moody added once the whole ordeal was at least three times described and repeated again and again. "We will of course look into this new piece of information." He wasn't exactly sure what that meant. He glanced at Dumbledore who was just as lost at thought as he was. After the Aurors were gone and Molly left with the three kids probably to check on the others and tell to Arthur what has happened, Dumbledore turned towards him.

"Pettigrew is probably far away already, but your and Molly's testimony must be enough for the case to be reopened. I have to admit, that I'm still not sure what really happened on that Halloween and the following day, but there is obviously more to the story then the Ministry thought. It's hard to imagine that an innocent person would be living his days as a pet for years," he stated and Remus had to agree

"Do-do you think that it wasn't Sirius? That it was all Peter?" he asked quietly. He had to know and while he understood that Dumbledore's own opinion didn't matter much in the big picture, at the moment he couldn't have more. He needed to be sure that he wasn't crazy, that at least one other person thought the same thing as he did.

"As I said my dear boy, I don't know what happened exactly, but either Pettigrew or Black had done all those horrible things and with Pettigrew hiding and escaping, I fear that someone innocent was blamed." They couldn't have been both guilty or both of them innocent. The question was, which one of his friends was the traitor? Though, that meant that either way he had an innocent friend _alive_ – that was more than he thought he had only a few hours earlier.


	9. Unjust trial

**Author's note:** **Hey! Thank you for reading, following and favouriting my story and special thanks to** ** _roni2010,_** ** _Eva'sDaughter_ and _Toraach_** **for reviewing.**

 **Sorry for the relatively long waiting, but this chapter was pretty hard to write, I have to admit (and also, it's nearly twice as long as my usual chapters). I don't know much about law, I'm studying healthcare, so this chapter is mostly based on the canon scenes of the fourth and fifth books (so the trials in the Pensieve and Harry's hearing) and also some fanon and head!canon elements. If you think something is bad, just write and I will correct it. I just thought that Sirius deserves a real trial.**

* * *

 **–** **CHAPTER 9** **–**

 **Unjust trial**

* * *

At first he tried to keep track of the days – Azkaban was always dark, but there was a slight difference between day and night even with the soul-sucking dementors around. However, he soon lost track. Did one day pass or was it two? The never ending loneliness and misery played tricks on his mind. Now, he had no idea how much time has passed since he was sent to that horrible cell – at least months, but probably years, he thought, maybe even a decade.

No one said anything to him when a small group of Aurors came – they just opened the door of his cell and with grimaces on their faces, they let him out. He was in no condition to ask questions and then when he thought that maybe things would change he was thrown into a holding cell in the Ministry. Still, it was a whole lot better with no dementors around to suck the life out of him. Here he could keep track of the days passing – one... two... three. No one would tell him anything, though. No, no one ever answered any of his questions.

It was on the fourth day, which started just like the other three that something had changed. He was leaning against the cold stone wall and trying to guess how much time he has spent in Azkaban and why he was suddenly at the Ministry. He remembered well when he was told that he was going to spend the rest of his life at that hell hole and yet, here he was now.

"Headmaster, according to the rules two Aurors must be with you," he heard an unknown voice, but his head jerked up. _Headmaster?_ Was Dumbledore here? Did he believe in his innocence? No, Dumbledore was told that he was the Secret-Keeper. If he did think Sirius was innocent he would have been given a trial long before. He didn't hear the answer, but then he heard steps echoing the bare walls of the cells and something white came closer and to his greatest surprise it was indeed Dumbledore. He was wearing a royal blue cloak with golden stars on it and just by his appearance Sirius couldn't guess if he was in Azkaban for two months or twenty years – the old man was just too old for such guesses, he would probably look like this in ten years as well.

"Sirius," the Headmaster greeted him as he stopped right in front of his cell. He looked around but saw no Aurors, not that he was surprised after all this was Albus Dumbledore. Some rules didn't stop him and most didn't have the guts to question him – or at least that was how things were when he was still free, but it did seem like something that wouldn't change like ever. It was a universal law.

"Professor," he croaked as he wasn't used to speaking. A small smile appeared on Dumbledore's face. Apparently he wasn't sure that Sirius didn't go crazy and he seemed surprised that he was recognized.

"What's the date?" he asked quietly and Dumbledore's expression darkened. Probably not two months then, he concluded. He just hoped it wasn't twenty years – he wasn't ready to be in his _forties_.

"Eleventh August, 1987," Dumbledore stated and Sirius trembled. Eighty-seven – it was not October yet, only August, but it still meant nearly six years. _Six years_.

"Harry is seven," he concluded and he felt himself stiffen. "Where is he?" he asked with pain. He knew that according to the will of the Potters if he was unable to take care of the child Dumbledore would have to find a home for him. He remembered giving Harry to Hagrid – it was just for safe keeping though. He thought that Dumbledore would keep Harry safe until he found that traitor and then he would raise his godson with the help of Moony. But he was sent to that godforsaken place without a trial - since then countless scenarios raced his mind of where Harry could be.

"Don't worry Sirius, Harry is well. He is happy, at the moment he is playing gobstones with Neville Longbottom probably," Dumbledore said with a smile and Sirius relaxed. Harry was well and if he was playing with Alice and Frank's boy then probably his godmother took him in. It was quite logical for the Longbottoms to raise Harry, really.

"I-I didn't kill all those Muggles... Peter is alive... It's-it's my fault that James and Lily died, but-but I wasn't the Secret-Keeper," he said with trembling voice but Dumbledore nodded to his greatest surprise.

"You are getting a trial, Sirius," he simply stated in a calm tone, but it sounded like a whisper to Sirius whose own thoughts were shouting at him. _Trial. Trial. Trial._

 _Innocence... freedom... Harry... Moony..._

"Remus met Peter Pettigrew who used his Animagus form to hide. He pretended to be a pet of the Weasley family. He escaped, but there were witnesses – it was enough to grant you a trial," Dumbledore explained calmly, but Sirius was just too shaken at the moment to understand what was said exactly. _Trial... Trial... Trial..._

"The trial is scheduled for tomorrow at nine o'clock. If you are found innocent then you can leave on your own as a free man. I am going to attend the trial as a witness, which means that my position as Chief Warlock will be taken over by the Minister. While I'm sure that you remember that Millicent Bagnold is quite fair and logical person, I am afraid that close to the entire Wizengamot wants you to plead guilty. They are scared of what your innocence would mean to their career and the public's opinion of the Ministry," he stated and Sirius nodded slowly. His heart sank – if they wanted him to fail in proving his innocence, how could he do it? Was he going to be sent back to Azkaban or just given a dementor kiss to make sure that the case was cold and dead (and soulless literally)?

"I believe Remus. Also two years ago I asked the Minister myself to reopen your case after I found some strange and rather confusing pieces of information in your case file, so I am on your side Sirius, but I need to know everything to be able to present your case," Dumbledore stated and Sirius let out a sigh. With Dumbledore on his side, he had some hope even if everyone else was against him. So, he started speaking – slowly and awkwardly at first, but once he was lost in his memories his voice strengthened. He told Dumbledore about the first time the idea of Animagi came up. How they were all able to turn by the age of fifteen, how they spent the full moons. He spoke about the time in the Order, when Remus became the perfect scapegoat, Remus who disappeared for months sometimes and Peter always saying that something was off with their werewolf friend. About Harry's birth and the hiding of the Potters, how they eventually came to the conclusion that the only magic strong enough to keep Voldemort away really was the _Fidelius_. He grimaced when he first mentioned how smart he thought he was when he came up with the change of Secret-Keepers, how logical it seemed that everyone would suspect him, the black (or white, really) sheep of an even darker family and the brother in everything but blood. His voice was shaking when he reached the night of Halloween – how he checked on Peter like he did every day and how he knew something was up when he couldn't find him. He was trembling when he spoke of going to the cottage and finding James and Lily dead and Harry crying.

"I-I knew about the will. It was always the plan, Re-Remus and I to take care of Harry if _something_ happened... But I also knew that James and Lily trusted you and I thought that you would make sure that Harry was okay and safe until that traitor was in prison. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself – at that moment I was so shaken up with anger and grief that all I could think about was finding Peter. I'm a horrible godfather, Harry should have been my first thought, instead I wanted _revenge_ ," he stated bitterly. He went on describing how he needed several hours to find Pettigrew and that the rat obviously had a plan. He never denied the accusations of causing the Potters' death, because he was in a way the reason they were dead – it was his plan that got them murdered after all. He knew that something was up when Peter started the shouting not caring about the Muggles around, and he would have known what was happening if it was any other day in his life, but after everything, he hardly cared about the traitor's words. And then... then came the spell and before he even understood what was going on Peter was already a rat, Muggles were shouting, the Muggle police came and the Aurors arrived.

"I laughed – I laughed when the Aurors arrived and they arrested me, because that was the moment I realized what the heck was even going on," he said with a frown. "The rat was a lot smarter than we gave him credit for, I believe. I don't know how he ended up in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin. Yeah, that's about it – oh, and of course I never got a trial, but you know that part," he finished and looked at Dumbledore who seemed thoughtful.

"Well, your story certainly makes more sense than the official one," Dumbledore mused and Sirius once again questioned the sanity of the old wizard. That was all he could say? He certainly hoped that tomorrow Dumbledore would have a better insight on the events or else the name Sirius Black would always be labelled as traitorous.

"I will do everything in my position to ensure your freedom, I promise you," Dumbledore said solemnly probably noticing his expression. He just nodded not trusting his own voice. _Trial. Trial. Trial._

* * *

Sirius gasped; he could not help himself. He has been to the Ministry before of course, but he never participated in a trial and certainly, this was more than important for him, his whole future depended on the events of the next hours.

He was chained and led by an Auror on both sides and even two dementors followed the little group. They entered a large dungeon, its walls were made of dark stone and it was dimly lit by torches. The room was surrounded by benches, the closer ones empty, but ahead, up high it was already filled with countless shadow-like wizards and witches. They were talking among themselves, a buzz in the air. No decorations at all, just serried rows of benches, rising in levels, all positioned so they could see the chair with the chains on its arms well where he was led.

He was placed into the chair by the two Aurors while the pair of dementors were lurking exactly behind him. He shivered and felt faint, but he held himself with as much force as he could – this was certainly not the moment for such weaknesses. If only he could just change into Padfoot for a moment... The chains on the arms of the chair glowed suddenly gold and snaked their way up on his arms, binding him there, not that he was surprised, he was thought to be a crazy Death Eater after all.

He noticed Dumbledore standing close to the doors keeping in the shadows in midnight blue robes and with a solemn expression. All witches and wizards stopped talking and the air felt heavy – everyone was obviously buzzing with excitement at the idea of the trial. A clear feminine voice broke the silence.

"Sirius Black, you have been brought here from the prison of Azkaban, because new evidence has been presented to the Ministry of Magic in your case. The Council of Magical Law is ready to re-examine the evidences and the verdict." He looked up and saw a square-jawed witch with close-cropped fair hair and a monocle speaking, but he didn't recognize her. Obviously Crouch wasn't the Head of the DMLE anymore. He just hoped that this woman was a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts – some fairness, acceptance and open mind wouldn't be bad.

About two hundred people were in the room all together, he thought, nearly all in plum-coloured robes with a silver W on the left-side the chest and all staring down at him with different expression, though most looked disgusted, but there was pure hatred, confusion and curiosity as well. He noticed a few in different robes, but he couldn't see them well and had no idea why they didn't dress according to the dress code of the Wizengamot.

In the very middle of the front row sat the Minister for Magic, Millicent Bagnold. He recognized her, because she has been the Minister even before he was captured. He remembered Dumbledore telling him that as he decided to take the role of defence, the Minster took the role of the Chief Warlock. The Minister kind of reminded him of McGonagall with a perfect bun, glasses and strict expression. Next to the Minister on the right a tall, but otherwise plain-looking wizard was sitting. On her left sat the new Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the one who spoke previously.

"Trial of the twelfth of August," said the Bagnold in a very official tone and Sirius noted as a young man not far from the Minister started writing furiously. "The charges against the accused are as follows: He murdered twelve Muggles – John and Mary Adams, Richard Millers, Emily Right, Jasmine McLean, Thomas Smith Junior and Senior, Cecily Pierce, Martin Matthews, Piper and Lionel Watson, Melanie Lovett – and a wizard, Peter Pettigrew with a Blasting Curse knowing the effect of the spell, so it was a deliberate act. The murder happened on a Muggle street in front of Muggle witnesses on the first of November 1981 at twenty-three minutes past ten, which constitutes an offense under paragraph A of Muggle Safety and Health Act, under point two of Basic British Wizarding Offenses, and also under section thirteen of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy. And also charged with passing information to You-Know-Who and being a Death Eater, committing crimes and offenses under his order, which is against close to all the laws of the British Ministry of Magic." His so called crimes were listed and he found it rather funny how the Minister wouldn't say Voldemort's name. He wasn't amused though – hearing the names of all those poor Muggles and then adding Pettigrew's felt like a crime itself.

"Interrogators: Millicent Sophia Bagnold, Minister for Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Edward Nathaniel Urquart, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Andrew Jonathan Goldstein –"

"Witness for the defence, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," Dumbledore added calmly and stepped forward. His long silver bread and hair gleamed in the light of the torches and a small smile appeared on his face when he looked around. Sirius watched him closely, trying to guess the mood of the headmaster, but the old man always had a too good self-control, and he wasn't the type to give his private thoughts and feelings away. The eyes of the Wizengamot shifted to Dumbledore – they obviously had to know that the wizard gave up his position for this trial, but Sirius had a feeling that most didn't quite believe that Dumbledore was on his side until now.

"Yes, the Chief Warlock asked to be replaced for the trial to be a witness for the defence," Bagnold stated with a nod. Dumbledore sat down cheerfully on a seat next to him, one Sirius didn't even notice before.

"First the witnesses of the prosecution. Everyone got a copy of the original versions of the statements of the Muggle witnesses. Their memories were modified after the incident, so only their testimony is worthy evidence." Sirius flinched at that having a good idea what was in those papers. He remembered well, Peter shouting all his 'crimes' and he never denying any of it. Also, Muggles didn't understand magic – they certainly couldn't know which one of them fired that spell, and they probably went with the easy solution, the one who was still around after the curse.

"The next witness is Nymphadora Andromeda Tonks," the Minister stated clearly and Sirius's head jerked up. "As the witness is underage, both her parents, Andromeda and Edward Tonks and the British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot, William Arthur Weasley are in attendance. Her request to be questioned under Veritaserum was denied due to her age." Sirius watched with awe as a girl around fifteen left one of the rows and slowly made her way to his side. Her hair was a bubblegum pink but before leaving the benches it faded into a mousy brown. Their eyes met and he noted that her eyes (at that moment) resembled greatly his own ones. Dumbledore conjured a seat for her and after a quick smile she took place.

"Are you Nymphadora Andromeda Tonks?" the Minister started and the girl nodded. "Verbal answers, please."

"Yes," she answered. Sirius could hardly accept that this was Nymphie, his baby cousin. He looked around carefully, trying to find Andromeda in the rows of people, but he couldn't see her. He looked at girl next to him and tried to see the little girl in her who changed her hair every other second and danced around with only a hat and sunglasses on. She was nearly a grown up, though. Did she attend Hogwarts? Did Andy have another child? Was she in Slytherin like her mother or in Hufflepuff like her father? Millions of questions ran through his head.

"Were you at the Weasley family's home on the sixth of August?"

"Yes, my friend Charlie invited me," she said. Was this Charlie guy, really just a friend or did she already have a boyfriend?

"Are you a Metamorphmagus?" Came the next question. What relation did Nymphie have to his case other than being the daughter of his older cousin? He babysat her a few times and had dinner with the Tonks family, but why question Nymphadora instead of Andromeda? Then he remembered Dumbledore mentioning the Weasleys – wasn't Wormtail pretending to be their pet?

"Yes, but..." she started and mutters erupted. Sirius wasn't surprised as Metamorphmagi was very rare; he wouldn't be surprised if Nymphie was in fact the only one at the country at the moment. He supposed most people in the Wizengamot have never met one before.

"Are you able to imitate any person? To copy their appearance and pretend to be someone else?" Nymphie slowly nodded, which surprised Sirius, though then again six years have passed. Last time he met Nymphadora, she could hardly keep her hair colour the way she wanted and now she was able to morph into someone else. She was already in school though; she was starting her fifth year if he counted well, so her control over her emotions and magic must be a lot easier now, both which were needed for her ability.

"Verbal answers," she was reminded.

"Yes, I'm able, but..." Once again she was cut off. Sirius didn't like where this was going. What did his cousin's human transfiguration abilities had to do with his so-called crimes? Nymphadora was only a young child, maybe eight-year-old or nine when he was convicted.

"Have you ever impersonated anyone?" Nymphadora panicked. Obviously she didn't like it either where this was going.

"Yes, but..."

"Have you impersonated anyone on the sixth of August while you stayed at the Weasley family's home?" she was asked and then Sirius understood. Dumbledore has warned him that the Ministry would want him back in Azkaban, but it hasn't occurred to him that they would play dirty – because using his baby cousin's special ability was surely not fair play.

"Yes," she muttered angrily and Sirius watched in amusement as her hair changed into a fiery red colour. At that moment he also understood the oddity of Nymphie herself asking for Veritaserum (as she was underage she wouldn't be given without asking for it) – it must have been Dumbledore's idea who probably understood the implication of the Ministry asking for her testimony. Dumbledore wanted to make sure that Nymphie wasn't used as a scapegoat. But as the Ministry didn't give permission, they can always say that his cousin lied and it really was her. After all, while in many cases it can be said that the witness or the charged could resist or trick the Veritaserum, a fifteen-year-old probably wouldn't be able to resist it and no one would question her statement.

"That's all, thank you," the Minister said with a nod, though in Sirius opinion she seemed rather pleased with herself. The buzz of voices, the excited chatter started again while Nymphadora stood up and left the conjured seat with a scowl on her face and still red hair.

"The next witness, Molly Weasley," the Minister stated and this time Sirius recognized the woman easily. While Molly wasn't in the Order he has seen pictures about her when the Prewett brothers showed the Order their countless nephews – one of whom was now the Youth Representative, he reckoned. Molly Weasley had a hair colour similar to the one Nymphie just had. She was a plump woman who had a real maternal air about her, even if he has never heard about her, he would guess that she had many children. She took place in the seat that was previously occupied by his baby cousin. As every grown-up witness she was given Veritaserum, but sadly even with it, her answers could be questioned.

"Molly Weasley née Prewett?" the questioning started again. Mrs Weasley confirmed her name and her address, even her birthday was asked and then the questions about the sixth of August began.

"According to your written testimony submitted on the sixth of August, you and three of your sons, all of them underage, have seen Peter Pettigrew, a man previously assumed dead. How do you know that the man you have seen was Peter Pettigrew?" Sirius leaned slightly forward as much as it was possible, trying to understand every word. Dumbledore didn't tell him what exactly happened when Pettigrew was spotted.

"Percy, my third oldest have just received his wand after his Hogwarts acceptance letter arrived. My younger twin sons, Fred and George took his wand and wanted to perform magic. Remus Lupin, the friend of the family and the babysitter of my youngest son's best friend, Henry McGonagall was in the house, he brought Harry – I mean, Henry with him for a play date. After the two of them arrived I went out to feed the chickens. I went back to the house and I wanted to check on Percy, so I entered the living-room only to see an unknown man. He was pudgy and had mousy brown hair and all in all, a rather rat-like look. I didn't actually _recognize_ him, simply, because I have never met Peter Pettigrew before, but Remus Lupin was in the room as well. My sons started fighting and he wanted to stop them, I was later told. Remus started questioning him, he called the man Peter and the man seemed to know Remus as well and he never protested when he was called by that name. Before I got to know who he was though, he turned into a rat. As no spell forced him into that form, I believe it was Animagi," she stated firmly. Sirius was listening carefully and after she finished he watched the reaction of the Wizengamot. Once again, everyone became excited.

"So, you didn't recognize the man?" The first cruel question came. Sirius just hoped that he wasn't going to be dismissed without even telling his own side.

"No, but..." Molly started, but of course she was cut off.

"Please, only answer the questions," she was told. "How do you know that it was not Nymphadora Tonks in another form?" Sirius wasn't surprised by the question, but many in the Wizengamont obviously were, because the excited murmurs started again, not caring about the interrogation. Molly Weasley wasn't an easy woman to intimidate though – she had six or seven sons if Sirius remembered well, so it was quite logical that she was a force to be reckoned with.

"Tonks, I mean Nymphadora Tonks, was in the kitchen with Henry McGonagall all along. Also, while I dare say, I am not an expert on Metamorphmagi, Tonks has told me that while she is able to change parts of herself into animal parts – like giving herself a beak, she is certainly not capable of Animagi. You know, there is a reason why Animagi is called what it is and not Metamorphmagi," she explained calmly. Not that the Ministry liked it – or at least the Minister.

"Minister, I asked for an expert's opinion before the trial started, the copy is among the files, and according to the expert Mrs Weasley is right. Very few cases of Metamorphmagi turning fully into an animal have been ever reported, and in most cases only human-like animals were possible such as primates. The further the animals are anatomically and in size to a human, the harder it is. According to the independent expertise the chances of Nymphadora Tonks, a fifteen-year-old turning into such a small mammal as a rat is close to zero," the Head of DMLE, the fair-haired woman stated scientifically. Oh, he could have kissed that woman just now. The Minister turned toward the woman and didn't seem impressed at all.

"The last witness of the prosecution is Remus Lupin," the Minister said after a moment silence. Molly Weasley shot him a quick glance and then she left the seat. Sirius looked at Dumbledore when Remus's name was said – was involving Remus the best idea? Though, he guessed that Dumbledore couldn't stop them if they insisted on hearing Remus out. After six years he saw his once best friend even if not exactly in the conditions he would have wished. Remus was sitting in one of the rows previously as were the other witnesses. When he was called he stepped forward and took place on the conjured seat as did the others before him. He was sickly looking – was the full moon around the corner? He looked years older than he truly was and his robes were patched. They looked at each other and one moment was enough for Sirius to know that Remus forgave him for doubting him, the same way he forgave his last living best friend for believing that he betrayed them.

"Remus John Lupin?" he was asked. Just as before Remus confirmed his name, birthday and address. Sirius noticed that he wasn't given Veritaserum, though. He wasn't the only to notice, Remus himself asked for the reason.

"Well, Veritaserum is only effective on humans," the Minister started and Sirius stiffened. Of course the Minister knew about Remus's furry little problem. Somehow it didn't even surprise him anymore. "As your name was found in the Werewolf Register regulated by the Werewolf Registry, part of the Beast Division, I dare say that it would not work." As expected the word _werewolf_ was repeated again and again like an echo. Sirius looked at Dumbledore who got up easily. He also watched as Remus practically shut down – his expression hardened, his back straightened and he was staring without blinking.

"Minister, I must correct your assumptions. Despite werewolves being classed as Beasts, they are acknowledged to be Beings during their untransformed state. I asked for testimony and I was given one by Professor Silvanus Kettleburn, the professor of Care of Magical Creatures and by Professor Olivia Lightwood, the current professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also, I received written statements from both the Werewolf Support Services and from the Werewolf Registry of the Beast Division confirming that in untransformed state as Beings, Veritaserum works for humans living with lycanthropy just the same way as for people without it," Dumbledore stated and the moment countless paper aeroplanes appeared out of nowhere and flew to all people sitting on the benches. Bagnold didn't seem exactly happy with Dumbledore, though.

"The expertises are valid. Remus Lupin must be given Veritaserum," the Head of the Department concluded after reading the given papers. Remus drank the water tainted with the truth serum and the questioning once again started. Sirius felt a bit strange – it was officially his trial and yet other than him slowly everyone else could already speak. When was it finally his turn?

"How did you recognize Peter Pettigrew in the form of a rat?" Sirius nearly snorted at that question. Didn't this woman ever possess a pet? Anyone who had a dog or cat could easily recognize their own among others after all – it worked just like that.

"Peter Pettigrew along with James Potter and Sirius Black became Animagi in our fifth year," Remus stated and around the room everyone gasped. Sirius felt quite proud, even if he knew that being an unregistered Animagus was in fact crime – though, it certainly wasn't worth for six years in Azkaban, so that didn't matter to him. "Unregistered ones," Remus clarified. "From the age of fifteen until twenty-one, I've seen Peter Pettigrew transform countless times. I could recognize him as rat even from a blurry black-and-white picture. Also, the rat was missing a finger and I certainly heard it enough times that all was found of Pettigrew was a finger." Sirius was very happy with his friend at that moment. While the Ministry was going to question the credibility of Remus's testimony even after all those opinions of experts, his friend's story was certainly going to help with his own.

Remus retold the entire day's happenings when he saw Pettigrew. His friend was soft-spoken, but very intelligent, so his answers were logical and well-built. If only Sirius could testify the way Remus did, he would surely be declared innocent.

"And now, the accused," Bagnold stated and Sirius wanted to sigh. Remus gave him a small smile and he requited it. He was given truth serum as well, but as his hands were still tied down, the pair of Aurors tried to make him swallow the water filled with it.

"Sirius Orion Black. How do you plead?" The moment of truth, quite literally.

"Innocent," he answered and this time the reaction was even louder than after the revelation of Remus's condition.

"QUIET!" the Minister asked. The room was once again indeed quiet, although only seconds later the buzzing started again, but this time Bagnold didn't shout.

"He must be using trickery to be immune to it," the Minister stated and this time Dumbledore stood up without a word. Sirius felt sick – how was he ever going to prove himself if no one was listening to him? He couldn't trick the potion, very few could. Maybe some potioneers and those who were very good in Occlumency – he was neither and he was certainly not trained in Dark Arts, he always went against it after all. He knew though how Veritaserium worked – as long as the user thought that he was saying the truth, he could say it out loud. So, even if the Ministry couldn't find any excuse as why it wouldn't work for him, they could always say that he went crazy in Azkaban and believed to be innocent even if he wasn't.

"I am sure that Sirius Black will be happy to tell his side of the story in a few minutes. However, before you all close down your mind, I would like you to hear my doubts in this case. I think some of you are aware that two years ago I asked the Ministry to re-open the case. Yes, two years before anyone has seen Peter Pettigrew _alive_. Now, I will tell you why and then I ask all of you to listen to what Sirius Black has to say, because in my opinion the holes in the official report are filled by his side of the story," Dumbledore stated and to Sirius's surprise many did seem to be rather interested at least in what the headmaster had to say. Then again, he guessed probably all people in the room were either taught by Dumbledore at one point or he was their headmaster.

Dumbledore surprised Sirius as well – he must have spent considerable time thinking about Sirius's case. He talked about the effects of the Blasting Curse, the strangeness of identifying only one finger of Peter, about how the Fidelius Charm worked, how the castor didn't need to know the Secret-Keeper, how Sirius helped with the Potters' wards about a year before the _Fidelius_ was cast and he even gave a positive character review of Sirius.

"I dared to ask a few people to write how they saw Sirius. You will find copies of every testimony among your files, but I thought that I should read one of my favourites. According to Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the Head of Gryffindor House: _Sirius Black surprised everyone when he was sorted into Gryffindor as he was the first in many generations in the Black family to go into any other house than Slytherin. However, in no time everyone knew that the Sorting Hat didn't make a mistake. Not only did he show the traits of the house, but he soon befriended two half-bloods and a pure-blood many considered blood traitor. He was the best man at the wedding of James Potter and Lily Evans, a Muggle-born and he was proud to say that he was the one who made the couple fall in love. In school he was always against blood purity, and he fought for the equality of Muggle-born students. He even received an O in Muggle Studies for his Ordinary Wizarding Level examination. At the age of sixteen his own parents disowned him and the Potters practically adopted him. I can't see him betraying the Potters or re-joining his family_." Well, he always liked Minnie. If he ever got out, he surely would make it up for her nice words. He saw as people shared looks – he hoped that there were a few Gryffindors around who believed McGonagall.

The Head of the Department said a few sentences to Bagnold and then she started questioning him.

"Were you a Death Eater?" she asked clearly and perfectly officially. Either a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw, he decided.

"No," he answered and he was sure that many started once again trying to find out how he tricked the truth serum, not that he did.

"Have you ever passed any information to Lord Voldemort?" He was surprised that she said the name, but he suspected it was because of the usage of Veritaserum. If he wanted to understand differently the whole You-Know-Who business then it was a way to avoid telling the truth. _Like, yeah, I know, Minnie – ah, I never told her anything..._

"No," answered firmly. He noticed Dumbledore who didn't take place again; instead he was standing next to him, smiling. Obviously while the headmaster found his story more logical than the official one, he still liked to hear his pledge of innocence.

"Do you have the Dark Mark?" He nearly asked why they didn't just check it, but he guessed being cheeky wasn't what probably the Wizengamot wanted.

"No," he replied once again – it started to get real old, real fast.

"Were you the Secret-Keeper of Lily and James Potter?" Now at least a fairly juicy question came, but one that made him sick. If only he was... Maybe James would be now outside flying together with Harry while Lily was making lunch for the whole gang, because of course Remus and he would appear out of nowhere and get themselves invited as well. Harry would have at least another sibling, probably two – a redheaded girl and another dark-haired boy, maybe, or the other way around.

"No, Peter Pettigrew was the Secret-Keeper instead," he replied before they could ask. Once again everyone was talking among themselves. This trial was turning out to be a joke – everyone gossiping and the Ministry trying to ruin him.

Then he was asked to once again tell the entire story. This time it was easier than the day before – he was less emotional and he built up the story in a way it made more sense. He tried to block out the whispers and murmurs, but he did catch some words, not many he liked. He dearly hoped that someone would believe him – he didn't do anything, really. Merlin, he was fighting on the good side while many who were sitting now in the rows, his future and life in their hands, were sitting comfortably at home or in their fine offices in the Ministry and waiting for someone else to stop Voldemort.

"So, you didn't kill Peter Pettigrew and all the Muggles presented? You didn't cast the Blasting Curse?" he was questioned.

"No," he answered. "Why don't you just check my wand?" he asked curiously and it seemed like the air froze. He looked at Dumbledore whose impossibly blue eyes were twinkling.

"I dare say Mr Black did make a good argument. Minister, Madam, the wand was taken from the convict when he was arrested. According to the Ministry's regulations the wand should still be in the storage of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," he stated simply, but a small smile was still on his face.

"How could we know that he didn't exchange the wands? That he didn't use Pettigrew's for killing everyone?" the Minister asked obviously not liking the idea, while Sirius started to dislike Bagnold very much. Why was it so hard to accept that he was innocent? (Okay, other than being ridiculed in the _Daily Prophet_ for sending an innocent to Azkaban for six years...)

"The witnesses never reported such a thing as changing wands. Also, if Sirius Black was so sly that he changed the wands, why didn't he stop Pettigrew from shouting it to the world that he was the reason of Lily and James Potter dying?" Dumbledore asked with the tone of a practiced teacher who knew that the students still needed some more hints.

"Did you, Sirius Black, change your wand with Peter Pettigrew?" the fair-haired woman asked.

"No, I didn't," he replied and after a nod the Head of the DMLE asked for the wand to be tested and the results to be reported immediately. There was a short pause while the wand was tested and the two Aurors returned with new Veritaserum to make sure that the previous wasn't tainted. He was once again asked the basic questions – Was he a Death Eater? Did he betray the Potters? And once again he denied all the accusations happily.

Not five minutes later the two Aurors returned this time directly going to the Minister and her second-in-combat. After a few moments of hushed conversation the fair-haired woman spoke.

"We tested both wands, not only Sirius Black's, but Peter Pettigrew's as well which was found after the presumed death of the former wizard. The last spell of Sirius Black was a tracking spell, on the other hand not only was Peter Pettigre's wand used for the Blasting Curse, but before casting that the wand was used for a cutting spell as well, which make sense as only a finger was found of Peter Pettigrew," she stated and Sirius had a hard time keeping himself from grinning. Even if he changed wands with Pettigrew, he wouldn't have needed to use cutting spells. Dumbledore asked for another moment of the time of the Wizengamot and he said the same thing that crossed Sirius's mind, probably because he felt that some might not make the connection as easily as they did.

"Also, the Veritaserum was tested and according to the expert it wasn't tempered with. While it can be tricked it certainly is original and it works just as it should," she stated. Hufflepuff, he decided – this woman was clearly fair. "Both sides presented the evidence?" When the Minister and Dumbledore agreed at the same time he started to feel faint. If he was convicted now, he probably would rot in Azkaban never seeing Harry, Remus, Andromeda, Nymphie or anyone else for the matter again.

His heart, which probably has swollen to an unnatural size, was thumping loudly under his ribs. This was just all too soon – he felt like he could speak for hours long about what has happened. Yes, this wasn't going to be enough, he was not all sure that he had made a good impression. Twice he opened his mouth and looked at Bagnold, but both times he closed as he wasn't exactly sure what else he should say.

Whispering, muttering – yes, everyone was speaking, most quietly, but some rather loudly. He could distinguish a few voices and tried to locate them as well, but at the same time he didn't want to know what they were saying. This seemed to be going on for hours, though it probably wasn't more than ten minutes when suddenly everything was quiet.

"Sirius Orion Black, you admitted in front of the Council of Magical Law that you broke Section A of Animagus Registry Act which is punished with two years in Azkaban, but as you have been imprisoned for far longer, if the Wizengamot finds you innocent in the other charges, then as long as your Animagus form is registered within the week, you will not be charged," she said and he felt himself at least a bit better. It didn't exactly surprise him – six years was thrice as long as two after all, but it was still good to hear. Now if only he was cleared of all the things he _didn't_ actually do. (It was quite funny in a way – being _not_ charged for the only offence he actually committed...)

"Those in favour of clearing the accused of all charges?" asked the booming voice.

Sirius's head jerked upwards. To his greatest surprise there were hands in the air, many of them... He wasn't exactly sure how many, but it seemed that more than half. Some seemed hesitant and looked at their peers for advice – he noticed two who put down their hands, but three or four raised theirs eventually. Before he could have counted it though, the Head of Department had said, "And those in favour of conviction?"

He wasn't surprised to see that many of the high-ranking Ministry officials raised their hands, those who were probably already in power when he was convicted, many he even recognized from the _Daily Prophet_ or from files for Order missions and meetings. They weren't the only ones though, all ages and type of people seemed to find him a murderer, a traitor, a Death Eater, but it seemed, that if not by a long shot, but this time less hands were in the air.

"Very well, very well... cleared of all charges," Bagnold said eventually with a sour expression and Sirius was sure that he was going to lose consciousness and it probably had nothing to do with the pair of dementors lurking somewhere behind his seat.

"Excellent," Dumbledore said with a small smile, springing to his feet, pulling out his wand, and causing the conjured armchairs to vanish. He winked at Sirius who was just sitting there, not knowing what to do until the chains which had been binding him down suddenly released him.

The Wizengamot were all getting to their feet, talking, and gathering up the documents and packing them away. Sirius stood up, but no one seemed to be paying much attention to him until he caught sight of Remus. He relaxed a bit while struggling with his feelings of shock and relief.


	10. Questionable decisions

**Author's note: Oops, sorry for disappearing. But hey, I'm back and now I have many ideas for this story again. Thanks for everyone for reading &following&favouriting this story. And special thanks to: ****_Eva'sDaughter_ , _SIRIUSBLACKHEIR_ and _Toraach_ for reviewing. So, some overprotective!godfather!Sirius for everyone now. ;)**

* * *

 **\- CHAPTER 10 -**

 **Questionable decisions**

* * *

Sirius wasn't sure what was going on, but he was soon hugging Remus only to stop when someone else – Andromeda, he soon realized – had replaced him.

"Andy," he muttered once Andromeda let go of him. She didn't change much, he noticed. The same patrician beauty and wide eyes greeted him, though he could detect the effects of the last six years on her face – having a Metamorphmagus for a daughter must not be easy.

"I am sorry ma'am, but we must take Mr Black away," one of the Aurors, the older one stated and for a moment panic hit Sirius. Take him away? Wasn't he free? Wasn't he cleared of all charges? However, the Auror must have realized the effect of his words, because he added. "Just some standard protocols, some papers to sign and all, after that you are free to go." Sirius automatically relaxed and looked at his friend and his cousin.

"Ted agreed to have you over until you are ready to restart your life," Andromeda proposed and Sirius glanced at the impatient Auror.

"That's very nice of you, Andy. I will take up on the offer," he accepted with a small smile and with a quick wave to the pair, he followed the Aurors. The corridors were strangely empty; he guessed that they must have been cleared only for him. He was led to Level 2, Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He wasn't forced to do anything, but he noticed that the pair of Aurors was certainly on a look out – probably the fact that he was cleared of all charges wasn't going to be enough for some. He didn't know anything about the year 1987, but if it was anything like 1981 then even the idea of him being a Death Eater would mean that he would receive many wary glances.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that he was led into a spacey office and the woman he recognized as the head of the department was sitting behind a large mahogany table. To his biggest surprise no other than Albus Dumbledore was standing right next to the desk as well. He offered a small smile to Sirius and he nodded to the pair of Aurors who were quickly dismissed by the woman.

"Mr Black, I have called you here to arrange the particulars in your case now that you are officially cleared," she started. "Why don't you sit down? Would you like some tea or coffee?" It seemed like a dream to Sirius as he sat down on the soft chair and after saying that he would prefer coffee not a minute later a house-elf appeared with a cup. Only a few days ago he was in his cell in Azkaban and now he was drinking coffee in a comfortable office with the Head of DMLE – it seemed hardly believable.

"First, as I stated during the trial as long as you register your Animagus form during the next week, you will not be convicted for the offense. Also, as you were wronged by the Ministry, you are to receive monetary compensation for the time you have spent wrongfully in Azkaban," she stated and he wanted to laugh at that but he controlled himself. Did the Ministry really think that some money would just make up for the years he spent at that horrible place? Not that he was about to protest or anything – he wanted to forget about Azkaban as soon as possible. He just wanted to put that part of his life behind himself and start fresh.

"Also, the minister gave me a copy of James and Lily Potter's will and it seems that you were selected as the guardian of Harry James Potter in case his parents were unable to care for him. As you were convicted just after Harry Potter became an orphan Professor Dumbledore placed Mr Potter as it was stated in the will. Now though, officially you have the right to fight for custody," she said and Sirius looked at Dumbledore with curiosity – now his presence made a lot more sense.

"If you do not mind Madam Bones, I would like to settle that with Mr Black after this meeting. The placement of young Mr Potter is a bit more complicated issue for several reasons as you might know," Dumbledore stated with his usual friendly, but ordering tone, one pretty much the entire British magical community knew well or at least came across. For a moment the woman – Madam Bones – hesitated, but eventually nodded. She obviously was interested in that conversation, but it was hard to say no to Dumbledore, he guessed and the DMLE didn't have much to do with custody cases.

 _Harry_. The idea of adopting him obviously crossed his mind since he was told that he was getting a trial, but it seemed such a hazy and distant possibility. He of course knew that James and Lily wanted him to take Harry in, if something happened to them, but they were practically children themselves when the will was written – while they were living in war time, they were young and they didn't exactly imagine dying at twenty-one (even when not one of their school mates have died). No, the idea of being a father instead of a godfather to Harry never really came to his mind until he found the Potters dead and then he was thrown into a freaking cell. He didn't know how to take care of fifteen-months-old, but at least he has seen James and Lily do it. But taking care of a seven-year-old? One who probably didn't even remember him? That seemed kind of impossible, but he knew that he had to do it, if Harry didn't have a happy childhood. However, based on what Dumbledore told him the day before probably Alice and Frank took him in, and as Harry's godmother, Alice had just as much right as he did and Harry was likely happy with them. Neville was just a day older than Harry – they were probably like brothers and maybe the Longbottoms had even more children.

He decided that if Harry was happy where he was then he wouldn't fight for custody, instead he would simply become the godfather and uncle he should have always been.

"But of course, the Ministry will be notified about the results of the case," Dumbledore added after a few moments of silence while Sirius's thoughts ran wild. "And if it comes to a legal procedure, all issues will be presented to the right department."

"You will need to sign several papers, Mr Black, about the offense of being an unregistered Animagus and about the compensation as well. Also, I would suggest you going to Gringotts, because now that you are free, you are to inherit the Black family fortune," she said once again startling him. So, everyone else was dead – not Andromeda obviously, probably Narcissa wasn't either, but his mother died while he was in prison. Regulus and his father died even before that, so he was the last Black, the heir of all. He found it extremely ironic as he was the white sheep in the Black family, and he was disowned and all. Still, while his family wasn't perfect and he even in many ways hated his parents, it was somewhat sad.

"I will go to Gringotts," he simply stated, not bothering to elaborate on a private matter with a stranger who didn't have anything to do with his monetary situation or family history.

"Then after signing these papers you will receive your wand and you are free to go," she stated and with a flick of her own wand several parchments appeared in front of Sirius all filled with lengthy sentences. He read all of them quickly over, not signing anything before he has read them (after all, he certainly didn't want to go back to Azkaban) and with unpractised moves – it has been years after all since he had to sign anything – he signed the papers with the quill Madam Bones provided. She took the parchments and looked them over checking for his signatures.

"Mr Black, here is your wand. I apologise in the name of Ministry for your conviction. I know that it isn't much, but sadly I can't provide more, but I assure you that I will look into the laws. No matter what the situation is, your case showed us well, that no one should be convicted without a fair trial," she stated with a small sad smile. At least there were still some decent human beings left in the Ministry, he concluded.

"Thank you, Madam Bones," he said in a similar fashion. Then she bended down and after a moment she straightened with a different wand in her hands, one Sirius immediately recognized as for years he could hardly part with it – it was his. It was medium brown colour and had a twisting design throughout the length of the wand. _Dragon heartstring, cypress, ten and a quarter inches_ , he chanted in his thoughts. He took it from her hand while he was slightly shaking. The moment the piece of wood was in his right hand, red and gold sparks left the tip of it.

"You are free to go, Mr Black," she stated with a firm nod. Sirius feeling overwhelmed mumbled something along the lines of _thank you_ and _good bye_ and then with barely working mind, he left the office. He was standing in the middle of the corridor without knowing what he was supposed to do now or where to go. Were Andromeda and Remus waiting for him downstairs? Was he supposed to go to Andromeda already? Did she even live at the same place she did six years ago?

"Sirius, Mrs Tonks and Remus agreed to meet you at the Tonks's, but I told them that I need to talk to you immediately. I want to go somewhere more private if it is alright with you," Dumbledore stated and Sirius looked up not even noticing the headmaster before he spoke. Sirius just nodded, he felt overwhelmed and he was more than tired – the idea of sleeping in a comfortable bed after six years of a dingy prison cell seemed just too good to pass. To be honest having a serious conversation with the headmaster wasn't one of his momentary To-Do-list, but he knew that what Dumbledore wanted, Dumbledore got.

The headmaster took his hand which surprised Sirius, but before he could even jerk his hand away, they were already in the Headmaster's office. As a prankster, one who gave McGonagall many of her wrinkles and gray hairs, he knew the office well. It didn't change at all from how remembered it, and alone that somehow helped his mood a lot. He might have missed out on much happenings and news in the recent years, but at least there were things, which were constant.

"I'm assuming this is about Harry," he stated, but Dumbledore just shook his head. Sirius noted all the portraits hanging in the office – probably they were gossipy, that seemed a good reason for Dumbledore's hesitance.

"Not here," he stated and then he gestured towards a fireplace. Sirius raised his eyebrows not knowing exactly where Dumbledore wanted to go.

"Dumbledore Cottage," Dumbledore stepped into the fireplace and used the Floo Powder. He instantly disappeared in green flames. Sirius repeated the process and found himself in a rather homey living-room. To be honest he never thought about where Dumbledore lived – he assumed that he simply had a room or a private quarter at Hogwarts. Living in a house just seemed too normal for someone like the headmaster.

"We can speak freely here," Dumbledore stated and gestured towards a dark red sofa. Sirius timidly took place just as Dumbledore did moments before. The room itself didn't look surprising with shelves full of thick and old-looking tones. Just as one would imagine a headmaster's living-room, he noted.

"You didn't want to speak about Harry at the Ministry, but why? Madam Bones seems like a good woman," he stated curiously and Dumbledore nodded, which didn't exactly surprise Sirius. If it wasn't for the head of DMLE, he would have probably never got out of that hell hole some simply called Azkaban.

"She is. A real Hufflepuff, I must say, fair and just. However, her loyalty is towards the Ministry and while I admit that most of the time I find myself loyal to that institution as well, Harry's case is different," he stated and Sirius straightened. He didn't like Dumbledore's tone at all.

"What's wrong with the Ministry?" he asked softly not quite knowing what was going on. In 1981 the Order fought alongside the Ministry and while there were a few officers there with dubious loyalty, all in all the Ministry was certainly an ally. Of course, he wasn't exactly happy with them now, as he had to stay at Azkaban for nearly six years before he received a trial, but Dumbledore seemed to have other problems with it as well. After all, the placement of Harry is a six-year-old story while his unjust imprisonment was a fairly new problem.

"I would like to keep Harry away from them as long as possible. He has been known as the Boy-Who-Lived since the downfall of Voldemort and most see him as the saviour of the wizarding world. He has very big political influence for a child, power the Ministry certainly would use if they had Harry in their hands," Dumbledore said and a bad feeling overtook Sirius. Keep Harry away? If Harry was living in the magical community, he didn't know how that could have worked.

"You don't want him to be on the front page of the _Prophet_ every week, I get that, but where is he, professor?" he asked softly. From what he has heard so far he wasn't sure that he wanted to hear the answer. Dumbledore hesitated for a moment.

"For you to understand that, I have much to tell you. Firstly, it's not exactly my secret to tell, but as Harry's godfather and the Potter family's close friend I think that you have the right to know it as soon as possible. Lily was adopted," Dumbledore stated and Sirius frowned. He didn't know where Dumbledore was going and he certainly didn't expect to hear that.

"What?" he asked with curiosity. What did that have to do with Harry's living arrangements, anyways? Certainly, Dumbledore didn't pass Harry to some random stranger who didn't even want Lily.

"Lily is Professor McGonagall's biological child," Dumbledore stated and Sirius stiffened. He nearly laughed out, but he knew that it wasn't a joke. Now that he was told, Sirius thought that it made much sense; Lily was much like their ex-Head of House, probably the reason why all of them were pretty fond of the strict professor.

"What does it have to do with Harry's placement? I thought he was with the Longbottoms," he stated and Dumbledore shook his head with a sad expression. Then he told the fate of Alice and Frank to Sirius who was close to breaking down in tears, but he had to be strong for Harry – he needed to know if he was alright.

"Then where is he?" he asked somewhat angrily. If he knew Remus well enough, with his constant fear of being a werewolf and thinking of himself as someone less than human, Remus wouldn't have fought for custody – he would have thought that Harry was better off with anyone else. Not to mention that the Ministry didn't exactly accept werewolves as normal citizens. But with the Marauders gone and pretty much all of Lily's friends dead, not many other options were left.

"With Minerva," Dumbledore simply replied and for a moment Sirius stared at the headmaster with utter disbelief and only then did it make sense. Only a few minutes ago did Dumbledore tell him that McGonagall was in fact Harry's biological grandmother – it certainly made sense for her to take him in. Still, the idea of Minnie taking care of a seven-year-old was rather strange; she didn't seem the exactly maternal type – after all, she did give up Lily. "For you to completely understand the situation you must know that in my opinion Harry wasn't the one to directly cause the downfall of Voldemort. From what I understand Voldemort gave Lily the option of sacrificing Harry for her own life, but she died for her son tapping into an ancient form of magic most didn't even hear about. Her sacrifice gave Harry a special protection – one that was strong enough to make Voldemort's killing curse backfire. This protection still runs in Harry's veins and as long as he is under the protection of someone with Lily's blood, it will keep him safe. So, Minerva took him in." Sirius wasn't sure that he entirely understood what was going on. He wasn't surprised at all about Lily's sacrifice, she loved Harry to pieces after all, but why was Harry the saviour then?

"You said that Harry is thought as the one to cause Voldemort's downfall. Why don't you just tell the people it was Lily? Then Harry wouldn't have to grow up as some superhero afraid of the press and the pressure of our government," he asked warily afraid of the answer. He was pretty sure that the idea had crossed the mind of Dumbledore before and yet he didn't do anything – there must have been a reason.

"I'm sure you have heard about the prophecy, the reason why the Potters were in hiding in the first place," Dumbledore said and Sirius nodded stiffly. He didn't know what it said exactly, but he was told the gist of it. "With Voldemort going after the Potters rather than the Longbottoms, he chose Harry as his opponent. While in one way the prophecy was already fulfilled, Harry – even if through his mother's sacrifice – defeated Voldemort, I'm afraid that Voldemort is not entirely gone. It might come to that; Harry is indeed going to be the one to take down Voldemort for once and all." Sirius suspected that there was more to that than that, but this piece of information was new to him. He was always told that Voldemort was entirely dead, yet Dumbledore thought that Harry was still in danger of that snake.

"So, what? You are making sure that Harry grows up knowing that he is somewhat special?" he asked with sarcasm, but the way Dumbledore looked at him suggested that his little idea was in fact right. "What, are you crazy? He is seven! It's not like he would be able to defeat Voldemort if _you_ were incapable of it." He jumped up and started pacing and looking at Dumbledore at every second turn.

"I don't want every magical person to know what has happened that evening, Sirius. The fact that you were in Azkaban shows us just well how the jurisdiction of magical Britain is not exactly perfect. I suspect that not one Death Eater was not convicted for one reason or another, if they knew what type of magic did it work on that Halloween night, then not only Harry would be killed, but Voldemort might be brought back. People need heroes and they prefer living ones. As long as Harry is thought to possess some kind of power which killed Voldemort everyone is going to be afraid of hurting him – maybe Voldemort himself as well," Dumbledore explained and Sirius slowly nodded.

"I trust McGonagall, I know that she is a good woman, but is Harry happy with her?" Sirius suddenly asked and he was surprised to see that Dumbledore had a wider than usual smile on his face.

"You don't have to save Harry from her, I assure you. Minerva is great with him. She always worries that she isn't good enough for him, but she is an excellent guardian and grandmother. Not to mention that Harry is a great child." Sirius smiled softly thinking about the baby version of Harry still so livid on his mind. But no, Harry wasn't a baby or even a toddler anymore and he wasn't sure how to handle that piece of information.

"How do you keep Harry away from the Ministry?" he asked suddenly, remembering how the whole conversation even started. Dumbledore had a faraway look, one Sirius didn't like a bit.

"Harry Potter is thought to be living with his Muggle relatives by the Ministry. Only very few know about the true placement and upbringing of him or even about his relationship to Minerva," he stated somewhat softly. Sirius looked at him suspiciously.

"Surely, people have noticed that McGonagall, a professor no less, is taking care of a child. How then?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Harry Potter is known as Henry McGonagall by everyone outside us, the Head of Houses of Hogwarts and Augusta Longbottom and by extension her grandson, Neville. Henry McGonagall is the child of Minerva's goddaughter..." Dumbledore started.

"Dorcas, who died only a few weeks prior to the Potters, yes, I know." This whole conversation became somewhat surreal to Sirius. _McGonagall being Lily's mother by blood. Harry being celebrated for something Lily really did. Voldemort not being entirely dead. Harry being prophesied as the one to kill Voldemort for good. Harry not even being Harry Potter to the world but Dorcas Meadows's son._

Sirius suddenly stopped pacing and faced the old headmaster. The man in front of him had a sad smile on his face and a knowing look.

"Maybe we should continue this conversation after you had some good rest," he suggested warmly with his usual kind attitude.

"Yes, that is a great idea. But I want you to know something, professor. Harry is my godson, I promised James and Lily to look out for him. I will do everything I can to look out for him, and I won't care if it goes against one of your plans as long as I believe that it is the best for Harry." Dumbledore didn't seem surprised by his solemn monologue, he is just nodded.

"I understand that some of my decisions concerning Harry are questionable. However, you have to know that I care about him as well. He might be Minerva's grandson by blood, but I see him as mine as well. I want the best for him too." Sirius wasn't exactly surprised that Minerva didn't keep Harry away from the headmaster, but his words were kind of surprising.

"I'm glad to hear that, I'm sure you know that Harry is kind of short of grandparents as well," Sirius said somewhat warily, not exactly knowing what to make out of Dumbledore's words. The headmaster nodded with a sad expression.

"Yes, I'm aware of the lack of family on both sides. I am sure that Harry will be happy to hear about his grandparents from you. Remus always told me that Harry had many questions of James's parents too and he lacked quite a few answers. I'm sure you will be a big help in that department," Dumbledore simply stated. It was a kind response; still, it didn't exactly calmed Sirius down.

"As long as Harry is happy I won't fight for custody. As I said, I trust McGonagall and I'm happy to hear that Remus obviously has been part of Harry's life, but I want you to know that from now on I will want to be the godfather I was asked to be," he paused for a moment. "When can I see him?" he asked suddenly breaking the short-lasting silence.

"I think a day or two long resting would do you good, Sirius. Harry is seven, he has much energy and I'm sure he will have many questions. It might be emotional if you know what I mean, so maybe you should wait a bit to get your emotions in order. Also, his hair and eye colours were both changed to a lighter shade, because he would look just like his father at that age with his mother's eyes, so it might be hard to see him." Sirius didn't really care about any of those things, but he didn't want to frighten Harry and he knew that he at least needed new clothes, a good night rest, a shower and a big meal before he could meet a child, so he nodded along. Nearly six years have passed – a day or two more wouldn't hurt after all.


	11. Draining conversations

**Author's note: As always, thanks for being amazing and reading &following&favouriting this story. Special thanks to ****_21stAtlas_ , _cmfisher_ and _Toraach_ for reviewing.**

 **The magical schools mentioned in this chapter (and their features) are all canon, they were mentioned on Pottermore. The prophecy is first written down in _Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix_. Also, note that this chapter is heavy on McGonagall and emotions - I thought that some issues had to be dealt with. I hope you will enjoy it - I admit, I've shed a tear or two while writing it.**

* * *

 **\- CHAPTER 11 -**

 **Draining conversations**

* * *

Minerva McGonagall was pacing in the small library of Dumbledore cottage. She wasn't alone though, Albus was sitting by the table in the corner, humming to himself lowly at least pretending to be obvious to her distress.

"You needed seven years to tell me what is going on?" she raised her voice and stopped moving for a moment. Their eyes met and she saw the small smile on his face disappear. Not that it was a surprise as her death glare was famous among the student population and the staff as well. Not one student stopped misbehaving because of the prospect of having to deal with her as a result.

"If you have known about the prophecy and what it says exactly, the moment you were the guardian of young Harry you would have packed up and left for the United States or China," he simply answered with the patience of a trained teacher. She looked at him with raised eyebrows and she even crossed her arms, showing that she was far from amused.

"Who says that I'm not going to do that right _now_?" she asked venomously. He might have been the Great Albus Dumbledore, but she has made a vow when she took Harry in, that she would stop being his puppet the moment Harry's safety wasn't his top priority. She trusted Albus as a close friend and a mentor, but Harry was her grandson and Albus was once again playing his mind games and to be honest, she has always hated when he did that. "Though, you know I don't believe in divination. Why do you?" she asked suddenly, remembering that this was all about a stupid prophecy made by none other than Silly Sybill or Trashy Trelawney as she sometimes thought of her colleague.

"You know my dear that I share your opinion on predictions and future telling, but Voldemort did believe the prophecy and he marked Harry, which we know. You could take him to the USA and he could attend Ilvermorny instead of Hogwarts, but if Voldemort ever comes back, he will seek Harry out and some other continent or country borders won't stop him, I assure you," he stated and she sighed. She abruptly sat down on the sofa right next to the greatest bookcase in the room. She pretended studying the ancient-looking tones, but her mind was elsewhere.

"So, that's why you were so persistent on the whole teaching-Harry-before-Hogwarts topic. I always thought that you just wanted to make Harry, The Harry Potter in the eyes of the students and the public," she said honestly. A small smile appeared on the edge of Albus's mouth.

"The Harry Potter," he mimicked her. "He will need to be able to protect himself, sooner than anyone else. So, yes, I want you to take Harry the day before his birthday to Ollivander," Albus stated and Minerva raised her eyebrows.

"Why not just give Harry one of the spare wands?" she asked curiously. However, the moment she questioned Albus, it downed on her. Harry was just going to become eight years old; he was three years short of Hogwarts age, so his magic was a lot less stable. Even adults performed magic with less success if they used a non-fitting wand, but the younger the wizard or witch was, the worst result they got. She suspected that someone as young as Harry could hardly do any magic with a wand which wasn't his own.

"While I'm sure that the Ministry wouldn't be notified of the early wand choosing, I would prefer if Harry went in incognito," Albus simply said and Minerva noted that he didn't answer her question. He must have realized that she knew the answer the moment the question was asked.

"Isn't Henry McGonagall already an incognito?" she asked with amusement.

"Not good enough as _Henry_ is known to be younger than Hogwarts age. I want you to pretend that Harry is a Muggle-born student you are escorting to his first shopping trip." She nodded along to the plan only to realize that the conversation turned out entirely differently than she hoped it would. Once again Albus manipulated her in such a way that she even forgot why she was upset.

"Don't think that you are off the hook about the prophecy, Albus. Seven years – seven years! And you only told me after I literally forbid you to teach Harry outside of school. He-he could go to Beauxbatons or Ilvermorny or Castelobruxo. Merlin, at Mahoutokoro, he would be already school age, that's what you want after all, for him to learn magic already," she said somewhat hysterically. The more she talked, the less confident she felt and the more she panicked. "He could attend Uagadou. It's the largest school – with some more transfiguration, a new name and history he could be just one of the students. _He_ could never find Harry. I-I would be ready to blend in as well for Harry's safety." She looked uncertainly at Albus. She was ready to list all her arguments on Harry attending any of the other ten big magical schools, knowing all the main factors about every one of them, and even about the small, private ones. Yes, sending Harry to a school Voldemort probably hasn't even heard about might just be the solution to all their problems.

Albus stood up to her greatest surprise and with swift steps he stopped right in front of the sofa she occupied. She got up much more hesitantly and now they were facing each other. There was a certain type of sadness behind those striking blue eyes she has seen countless times over her life.

"I know that you do _not_ trust me completely when it comes to Harry. Probably you never will, simply because you care so much about your grandson. Maybe you don't trust anyone but yourself, not even Remus or Sirius. I understand that completely, and I know that as his guardian and his grandmother you could just take him abroad. Uagadou as both of us know is known for its success in Self-Transfiguration, I am sure that they would happily welcome you in their staff. But don't you think that Harry is safer among people you know and trust? At Hogwarts he would be surrounded by our – _your_ – closest associates. If you believe that it is needed we could even have Harry attend as Henry McGonagall," he proposed and for a moment she felt convinced, but then reality crashed him.

"That is impossible, we both know, Albus. What do you think the Ministry would do if their precious Boy-Who-Lived never arrived to Hogwarts when it was your duty to place him and make sure that he is alright? The whole magical Britain would be in uproar if you have lost their saviour," she reminded him flatly. No, if Harry was to attend Hogwarts, he would have to do it as Harry Potter.

"And mind you, why would it be any different if he went _abroad_?" Albus asked somewhat impatiently which was unusual for him. He was always so damn cool and collected. She even liked that sometimes her so-called mentor could lose his patience, it made him more human and less legendary wizard-like. However, she had to admit that he was right. If Harry Potter didn't arrive to Hogwarts on the first of September in three years, then no matter what, the Ministry would go looking for him and blame Dumbledore on their saviour's absence.

The truth was she realized that the Boy-Who-Lived couldn't just disappear. It was one thing to do it when he was just a mere toddler and an entirely different matter when he was supposed to rejoin the wizarding world and show everyone how talented wizard he was (with being the only survivor of the Killing Curse and the defeater of You-Know-Who). Even if they could somehow convince Harry's Muggle relations to pretend that they have moved abroad or something, the Ministry would want to keep their eyes constantly on Harry. She knew well how much work it was for Albus to keep their prying eyes away from the Dursley family where Harry supposedly resided.

"So, Hogwarts it is?" she said with venom in her voice which hardly ever happened when her school – the one where she learned and taught as well – was mentioned. In many ways it was even out of character as deep down she wanted to see Harry at Hogwarts, with James's appearance and Lily's eyes, her baby girl's own baby, she knew that it would bring back good memories of her daughter who never knew her as her mother. It was no question to her either that the Potters would have wanted Harry to attend their ex-school of all magical institutions. Still, no matter how much he fitted there (so many of his ancestors attended it after all on both sides), it was pretty obvious that he was the least safe there even if she trusted her colleagues. Hogwarts would be the first place any Death Eater or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself would look for him.

"He will be right under our nose this way," he pointed out obviously trying to cheer her up, but it didn't work exactly. She collapsed onto the sofa while Albus remind standing in front of her. She studied her own hands as if nothing was more interesting, firmly looking down, but she felt his gaze on her. Silence. She was surprised that he wasn't trying to convince her that Hogwarts was safe and that no harm would come to Harry there. Instead the silence dragged on most probably for at least ten minutes.

"It is supposed to be my task, you know? Keeping him safe. But I already feel that no matter what, I will fail. If you are right and Harry will be sought after by _them_ , then I will be not good enough to protect him," she said softly, voicing her greatest fear. Her daughter was ready to give up her life at twenty-one to save the little boy she was now responsible for. Lily was able to protect him with magic so old most never even heard of. How could she compete with that?

"You will do anything you can and even more to protect him. No one could expect anything else from you," Albus replied eventually and she let out a dry chuckle.

"What about Harry?" she asked suddenly. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"I am not sure I am following your line of thought, Minerva. We have been talking about Harry after all." She just shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Don't you think that he should be informed about the prophecy? It's about him after all." Without a word he took place next to her on the sofa. They remained seated silently like that for what felt like hours for her. "Albus?"

"He is not yet eight-year-old, Minerva. His biggest problem should be if he made a mistake in his homework or not. How do you propose to tell him that a woman who might one day be his professor prophesised that the madman who killed his parents will either kill him or be killed by him?" She turned towards him to see his expression, though only from his voice he had a good idea. Pained. Old. Tired.

"And then what? Do you suppose that lying to him is better?" she asked angrily. He started staring at the old books just as she has done before.

"It is not lying, my dear, just keeping him ignorant of the darkness of our world. We all want children to be happy before they face the problems and unfairness of the world of the adults. The Muggles don't have magic or even believe in it, but they still have many stories of it just for children. They are blissfully happy, children, both Muggle and magical believe that with a flick of a wand the evil can be defeated and the good can live on happily ever after. Don't you want that for Harry?" he asked softly. Her green eyes met his blue ones.

"' _Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...'_ " she recited the awful prediction. She has just heard the prophecy for the first time, but especially that line was stuck in her head, buzzing in her ears. _Neither can live... Neither can live..._ "Just like that, living happily ever after," she said bitterly. "But I'm afraid you are right, Harry is still too young. However, I believe that he has to be told sooner than later. He has to face that he is not like his future classmates at Hogwarts, that he is always going to be special. And it is better if he faces that demon before it is too late for it."

"It is a burden for all of us, I am afraid." _Burden_ certainly didn't seem like a strong enough word in her opinion.

That night looking in the eyes of Harry was incredibly hard. She was sitting on the edge of his bed as it became their thing. Albus always said good night to Harry before the boy started getting ready to bed, and it was always she, who read to him when he was younger and sang to him.

" _...Granny's gonna buy you a giant squid, And if that giant squid swim away, Granny's gonna buy you a sparkling fay. And if that sparkling fay won't fly,..._ " she softly sang, more to the sake of tradition than to actually tire Harry out. She was quite sure that if it wasn't written by his parents, then he would be complaining he was too old for a lullaby. However, the knowledge that it was sung to him from the day of his birth by his parents (though instead of Granny it was Papa or Mama) stopped him from being too old for it.

"Tomorrow is my Dad's birthday. I mean, I suppose, it would be," he said softly, sitting up in the bed, not caring that he was supposed to be already tucked in. She leaned closer to adjust the blanket once again, but then she reconsidered it, and instead she ran her hand through his thick hair which stood in odd angles anyways. Even as a chocolate brown instead of black as coal, it reminded her so much of his father.

"It is still his birthday, Harry. He is just not around anymore to celebrate it," she replied with a sad smile. She prided herself with the fact that according to everyone, his teachers, the parents of his friends, even Sirius, Remus and Albus, Harry was a happy child. Still, she knew that there was a part of him that always felt missing even with so many of people loving him. He might have a grandmother, countless uncles and many friends, but he didn't have parents.

"Macey, a girl in my class didn't get the doll she wanted for her birthday and she was so mad about it that she told her dad that she hated him," he recounted somewhat distantly. The quarrel she had with Albus was emotionally draining enough not to feel up to this conversation, but she knew that Harry needed this. They frequently talked to Harry about his parents, especially Remus and Sirius, but it was rarely this deep and emotional. Usually it was more about what his parents were like as children, teenagers or adults and what they have been up to in school or with him as a baby. They never forced Harry to talk about his loss – it was something none of them understood enough to bring up without risking more damage than help. Remus and Sirius have lost close friends, a brother, while she has lost her daughter who didn't even know her. She also knew that Albus lost his sister. Still, none of them were orphans. However, they were always there when he wanted to talk and share his feelings, as it was the least they could do to ease his pain.

"I am sure that she realised her mistake and she apologised." Harry nodded while staring in the distance, not focusing really on anything. She wished that she could read his mind – no, not with Legilimency, – just simply knowing what he was really thinking.

"When she passed me while telling that to her friend, Anne, I had an urge to jump up and angrily tell her that she shouldn't say anything like that to her father and that she should be instead happy that she even has one. I-I would have done exactly that if Hermione wasn't there. She obviously knew what was on my mind," he explained still with that far away look.

"Humans are foolish creatures, with or without magic. We say things, we don't really mean. We ask questions, we know the answer to. We pretend. We lie. What she said doesn't mean that she really hates her father. She is just young and made a mistake. When we are angry, we tend to say bad things, because we don't think before we act," she tried to explain to him. He nodded, but he was still looking quiet tormented. She felt helpless, she simply didn't know what she was supposed to do or say to help him.

"She doesn't have a mummy, did you know? Her mum died in an accident. She-she only has her daddy," he stated and then she understood why it all upset him so much. It wasn't just the fact that James would be twenty-eight the next day if he was still alive. The girl was in a similar position as he was and yet, she still said to her only remaining parent that she hated him.

"Her dad must know that she didn't mean it. Tell me, whenever I forbid you something, weren't you angry with me?" He nodded as an answer, though he didn't seem convinced. "Did you ever felt the urge to say something bad to me?" she asked and she saw that he hesitated for a moment and then he nodded. "Why didn't you?" she questioned him eventually. He was silent for a moment.

"Because I love you. I-I stop for a moment and I feel silly. You are my grandma and I'm happy to have you. Plus, I imagine Mum scolding me for being so silly and sayin' something bad. Remus and Sirius always say that my Mum was just like you when you're angry, so it's not hard to imagine what she'd say," he explained and it brought tears into her eyes. This day was supposed to be easy. She had an easy timetable, fewer classes than on most days. Harry got to school with Remus without a fuss and he spent the entire afternoon with Sirius. But then just as Albus and she got home before Harry arrived, Albus started talking about starting to teach Harry magic. For the last few months more and more arguments came into her mind against the idea. She just told Albus that he was too young, let's wait, there was no hurry. From there everything went downhill... She was so damn tired and her mind was buzzing. She seriously needed a potion against the growing headache she felt.

"I love you too, Harry," she answered with a wide smile, but she knew that her eyes were missing the right glint. Not because she was lying, because Harry has been everything to her since she has taken him in, but because she felt helpless. She didn't know how to lessen his pain. She didn't know how to cheer him up. But worst of all, she didn't know how to keep him safe.

"Something-something else happened today as well." She took his hand and tightened it reassuringly. He turned towards her and looked in her eyes.

"What happened, sweetheart?" she asked softly and kindly, but somewhat timidly, already fearing the answer. She was most certainly not ready for any other bad news.

"We got the homework to draw a tree with names of our family," he started.

"Family tree," she supplied and he nodded. She had a feeling where this was going. She never told Harry that she raised Lily; he was even told that Lily lived with others, not her mother and father, just as he did. He never even asked that if she was Lily's mother, then who was her father. She should have known that sooner or later it would come up, though.

"Yes, and I knew that Sirius lived with my Dad's parents for a while and knew my parents well, so I thought that he could help. He also knew the whole Henry McGonagall story, so it made sense. As he took me to his place after school, we played some games, and I asked him to work on my homework with me. We were actually a bit stuck on what to write, because it is a Muggle project and all, and there was Henry McGonagall and Harry Potter as well, so I asked him to make me two family trees and then decide here with you which one to use. To be honest I actually wanted to use the real one and not even do another, but Sirius insisted. So, we made both in the end," Harry started on his story and for a moment she felt a bit relieved, because while the two identities question was of course a complicated one, it was far less emotional than speaking about the reason why she was only Lily's biological mother.

However, he continued. "I-I always knew that my Mum had _another_ family, but I didn't exactly understand it until he started explaining to me her side of the family tree." She noted that his eyes were no longer unfocused; instead they were burning with curiosity and maybe even with accusations. She hoped that she only imagined the latter, though. This was going to be yet another conversation she would have loved to have any other day, but she knew that it had to be dealt with now when Harry opened up. If only this was about secret identities...

"Yes, to your Mum I was just her professor. She was my child, but she didn't even know it. A kind couple raised her as their own, Mr and Mrs Evans. She even had a sister. Her sister is still alive, I think, but the people your mother loved as her parents died before you were even born. Also, Lily was the only magical person among them," she explained and Harry nodded.

"If my Mum had a mother already, then why did she need another one?" he asked the question she feared would come up. Not that it surprised her, it was the next logical problem and Harry was quite bright, she even prided herself with that.

"It was my fault. Your mother didn't have a father and I wasn't ready to raise her alone like Macey's father did. I wanted her to have both," she tried to explain and Harry slowly nodded.

"I don't have either, but, I'm happy with you, Uncle Al, Remus and Sirius. I miss them very much, and I'd be very happy to have them with me, but my Mum had you. I don't even have her." A tear appeared on the edge of his eyes. She wiped it off with a slow movement of her index finger.

"I was foolish just as Macey was when she said bad things about her daddy. I thought that she needed more at that time. Also, I have to admit that at that time I didn't feel ready to be a mum, I believed that I wouldn't be good enough for her. I felt that she deserved better." When he was older she would tell him the entire story. How children out of wedlock were frowned upon, how she was not ready to live the life of a Muggle wife even if he loved Lily's father. He wasn't old enough for the complete truth yet, Albus was right. He was just a child, not yet eight.

Harry was silent for such a long time that she thought that he has fallen asleep even in the awkward half-sitting, half-lying position he was. He didn't even move, and he has closed his eyes, so she was ready to stand up and go to bed herself. She was more than ready to sleep and let her brain go through of the day's happening and sort the thoughts.

"Did you love her? My Mum?" he asked so quietly she hardly heard him. She caressed his face gently, not rushing to answer, trying to find the best words for the seven-year-old.

"When you realize that you are having a baby, it still seems such a strange idea, but you can't help, but feel connected to it. Then the first time you see your baby, it changes everything. She was my baby, Harry, even if she didn't call me Mum. The same way your parents loved you the moment they had you, I loved your mother," she answered truthfully. Harry nodded and opened his eyes.

"She was very lucky then. She had three parents who loved her," he concluded and she smiled sadly.

"Many people love you as well, Harry. Also, your parents will always love you, even if you do not see them. They are right here with you." She placed her hand on his heart. He was too young to understand that she meant it in a literal way as well as Lily's blood was keeping him safe. Their love for him saved him.


	12. Sinister wand

**Author's note: As always, thanks for being awsome and reading &following&favouriting this story. Six reviews! Wow! Special thanks to ****_AECM_ , _panther73110_ , _Eva'sDaughter_ , ****_Soulless Huntress, Toraach_ and _Hope06_** **for reviewing.**

 **The information about wandwoods and wandcores come from Pottermore. Also, I would like to point out that this chapter is so different from canon, because Harry is _not_ thought to be Harry Potter. I'm pretty sure this wand wouldn't be just given easily to anyone, so this was needed, I believe. Also, next chapter Harry starts learning magic! This means the rest of the Head of Houses appear ;)**

 **Question: Would you be interested in a chapter where Harry meets the Dursley family? I believe he would be interested in meeting Petunia, his mother's sister and all. But you can decide :)**

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 **\- CHAPTER 12 -**

 **Sinister wand**

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Harry Potter was not a stupid boy. Also, he certainly knew more about secret identities than any nearly-eight-year-old. Still, as any in-a-day-eight-year-old he really didn't possess much patience.

"Once again, what is your name?" his grandma asked for the millionth time. They were sitting just outside the cottage, on a bench Harry has spent a lot of time during the last six or seven summers. He was already in Muggle clothing, denim jeans with a red T-shirt, waiting impatiently to go to Diagon Alley.

"Harry James Potter," he said defiantly and he received that death glare many much older student feared. They weren't her grandchildren though – Harry knew her just a bit too well to fall for it.

"This isn't a game, Harry," she pointed out just as impatiently. Harry just shook his head and started playing with the hem of his T-shirt.

"Well, that's my name," he truthfully replied, though he had to admit that the idea itself still felt strange to him. He was frequently called that at home or even by Sirius and Remus when they were alone, but that the name was like a dirty secret. To the entire world he was Henry McGonagall. A third name, Henry Taylor was certainly not what he wanted at the moment.

He looked at his grandmother who he had to call Aunt Minerva in public, but who was now according to this _newest_ story only a professor to him he has just met once. She was supposed to be showing him, a new student from an orphanage the wizarding world.

"What will you say if Ollivander asks for your name, Harry?" she asked with a sigh. He looked at his grandma, who was just about to ruin her perfect bun. She was wearing one of her favourite emerald green cloaks and he nearly questioned her why she loved that colour so much when it belonged to the 'enemy', the Slytherin's. Was it because his mother and he had eyes just like that? Did his mysterious grandpa, the one she never directly referred to, have emerald green eyes as well?

"Taylor," he said in a similar fashion. Her hands fell to her sides, she stopped ruining her hair in frustration and her expression brightened. Harry didn't even know why this whole ordeal was needed – he has been playing _this game_ since before he could remember and yet he couldn't recall an incident of slipping up like ever. He certainly knew how to be someone else, though he was never directly told _why_ he couldn't be himself. Was it so bad to be Harry Potter?

"Why?" The question escaped his mouth without wanting to voice it. His grandmother looked at him with concern. She ran her hand through his hair, which was now dark blonde or mousy brown, the type so many had and you couldn't even identify it. Not to mention that it was easy to forget. Another name meant another look of course.

"Why do you need to be Henry Taylor?" she asked with high eyebrows. He suspected she looked like that during her lessons as well when some dumb student asked a completely out-of-loop question.

"Why is it so bad to be Harry Potter?" he questioned her and he saw her expression darkening. It wasn't like she and his uncles never told him anything. He knew well that Harry Potter – _he_ – was famous much like his Uncle Al. He was also told that his parents weren't with him because of a dark wizard, that he made him an orphan. Still, that somehow didn't seem to answer the question of why he couldn't be just who he was. Wasn't lying a bad thing? Didn't his grandma always tell him to say the truth?

"Harry, it is not a _bad_ thing to be a Potter. Your paternal family – the family of your father – was a nice bunch of people. They were an old family, pure-bloods mostly, but friendly with Muggles. Your grandfather was a very talented Potioneer as well while your father was not only a good student, but a very loyal and brave person as well. And don't let me start on your mother... No, being a Potter is certainly not a bad thing. Being Harry Potter is not bad either. But that evil wizard who killed your parents disappeared that night when he was at your house. He hasn't been around since then and people associate his disappearance with _you_." His eyes widened at that.

"Is that a _bad_ thing? I didn't want to hurt anyone," he stated and she just shook her head with a small smile.

"No, Harry, that isn't a bad thing. But it is a big thing and sometimes big things have bad consequences as well. One of them is that you can't be like every other child. You are special. And one way of dealing with that is being Henry McGonagall or Henry Taylor. Once you go to Hogwarts you can be Harry Potter, but until then it is the best if you aren't. Not because it is a bad thing, but because it is complicated to be Harry Potter." He still wasn't sure what his grandmother meant exactly, but he certainly didn't like the sound of it.

"If being Harry Potter is so hard, then why can't I just be a McGonagall? I'm sure my Mum and Dad wouldn't mind it too much. It's a nice name and much more special than Potter. Did you know that there are many Potters among Muggles? I know two in my school as well," he said simply and she looked at him with an expression he knew. She always looked like that when she talked about his mother. Sad, he concluded.

"Believe me sweetheart, if it was that easy then I would be very happy to have you as Harry McGonagall. I admit it, it has a nice ring. It doesn't work like that, though. You are just too young to understand it, Harry, but you will get it when you are older, don't worry," she stated and he fumed. When it came to his past or even to his future the adults in his life liked to use the 'too young to understand' speech. He was rather curious at what age would he be old enough? And it wasn't the type of questions his classmates or friends didn't get answers to. No, some of them were rather simple or essential.

Before he could question the vague answer, his grandmother once again started on the whole interrogation.

"Blood status?" she asked and Harry grimaced.

"Which?" he asked innocently. Well, as Harry Potter, he was the child of a pure-blood and officially a Muggle-born who turned out to be a half-blood, so he himself was a half-blood. As Henry McGonagall he was the child of a Muggle-born's daughter and a Muggle which was usually classified as half-blood, but it wasn't exactly like being a Potter. If it wasn't complicated enough for an eight-year-old as Henry Taylor he was a Muggle-born. Merlin, he hated this whole blood status thingy. He was a wizard, why wasn't that enough?

His grandmother didn't like his innocent question too much, even though it was completely logical. She crossed her arms and turned to him a bit more. Now even though they were sitting next to each other on the bench, they were pretty much face to face if one didn't count the height differences.

"Harry, today you are supposed to be Henry Taylor," she said with a huff. He crossed his arms as well and mirrored her expression.

"Sorry if it's hard to keep up with who I am on which day." Bitterness. Yes, he felt bitter. How was it fair that he was punished only a few months ago for not telling his grandmother and his uncles that he received a bad mark at school? He didn't even lie; he just didn't tell them what happened. Yet, he was supposed to be lying all the time about such an everyday thing as his name because they say so.

"Harry..." his grandmother started, but he just shook his head.

"Don't start," he stated knowing already from her tone that she wasn't going to tell him all the 'adult stuff', just something to make him feel better. He didn't want that now. "Muggle-born." She just nodded as an answer.

"Parents?" she asked softly and he let out a dry chuckle. At least here he wasn't lying. In every freaking version of his so called life it was common. Dead. "Died. I'm an orphan," he said emotionlessly. He was too messed up for the moment to get caught in that. That thought always made him sad, one thing he certainly didn't need that day. Getting his wand was supposed to be exciting, a very happy day, one he was always going to remember. No matter which adult in his life he asked, all of them had a faraway look and a happy smile on their faces when they told him how their wand has chosen them.

"And who I am?" she asked and he pressed his lips together before he could say something he regretted. There were so many answers to that innocent question.

"My future professor. Professor McGonagall. Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House, Transfiguration professor," he answered dutifully and she leaned back with a satisfied expression.

"Good. How old are you?" she asked.

"Just turned eleven a few days ago," he stated matter-of-factly and she nodded. Not that it was even a fact.

"How much do you know of the magical world?"

"Not much. Just found out that I'm a wizard," he said with a sigh keeping up the act of being a Muggle-born.

"Have you ever been to Diagon Alley before?" He just shook his head as an answer, not even bothering to answer the question. His grandmother was silent for a moment and then she nodded.

"We should be going. It's Neville's birthday today, I'm sure you would like to spend the afternoon with him." Harry just nodded once again and he got up from the bench and his grandma followed his lead. They crossed the lawn and they didn't enter the cottage, instead they bypassed it. He touched the wall affectionately and glanced towards his grandma. While he was angry with his grandma and his uncles for the whole Potter-McGonagall-Taylor ordeal he had to admit that he was happy to have them. He imagined being Henry Taylor and growing up in an orphanage without anyone to love him. While he sometimes wasn't even sure who he was, he had at least a grandmother and three uncles who were always there for him.

"Granny?" he asked softly once they were in front of the house. She turned towards him expectantly.

"Yes, Harry?" He didn't say anything, instead he hugged her. She was stunned for a moment, but then she hugged him back.

"I'll be a perfect Henry Taylor, I promise," he softly stated and she dishevelled his hair affectionately. He found it ironic as it was always her who tried to tame his rather wild hair; though in the end she always just sighed and muttered something about the 'Potter hair being as untameable as the Potters themselves'.

"I know it sweetie. And I know that you are tired of all this pretending. To be honest I am as well, but it's for your protection, and I'll always try to protect you." Harry wasn't sure why he needed protection, but he nodded along. If his grandma didn't like it, but found it necessary then probably it was.

"How do we get to Diagon Alley?" He expected to use the Floo Network, but logically then they would have gone inside the house. She held out her hand and he took it. They started walking towards the road which led them to Hogsmeade. He was surprised when suddenly his grandma stopped walking instead she pulled out her wand from her robe's pocket. With her wand in her right hand, she held out her hand straight. When he was about to ask what spell she was going to do, out of seemingly nowhere a purple triple-decker bus appeared. For a moment Harry was utterly confused only to remember that mostly for those who were unable to use Apparition or even the Floo for one reason or another, there was an alternative way. He then noticed that gold letters over the windshield spelled _The Knight Bus_.

The front door opened and a very old and Harry suspected blind man stumble down in what seemed to be a uniform. It was purple, the exact same shade as the bus itself, he noted. The man seemed older than even Uncle Al and he was rather hunchbacked with only a few snow-white hairbreadth slicked across his bald top of head.

"C'me 'n, c'me 'n," the man gestured towards the bus.

"Two people to Diagon Alley."

"Wit'out wa'er, too'brush or ho' chocola'e eleven Sickles per person. He'e," he held out his empty hand. "Welcome to t'e 'night Bus."

"None of those," she said and placed the exact amount in the waiting hand. Harry wasn't sure how the man even checked if the amount was good, but when the man didn't ask for more, he went along with it. He got on the bus and looked around to see a few people sitting on their seats. Most were either very old or ill-looking, but he noticed a pair of school-age children, probably no more than fifteen as well.

He sat down on the first empty place he noticed and he deemed far away from the scary looking staff. Soon his grandma was sitting right next to him.

"Why not use the Floo?" Harry asked curiously and he received a glare as a response first only. He then noticed that the bald and probably blind man just passed them.

"You are a Muggle-born. We are going to use the Muggle entrance to the Alley," she stated. They always used the Floo of the Leaky Cauldron. But then again it made sense that most probably Muggle-borns on their first trip didn't use that. Maybe someone in the pub would find it strange. It seemed a bit paranoid to Harry, but he wasn't about to question it. He has used the Floo Network so many times before that it has lost its charm. The Knight Bus was something new.

Harry soon realized though that the Knight Bus was even worse than the Floo Network which even after years, he didn't exactly like. He was sitting right next to the window and for the first ten seconds tried to keep track of where they were, but they seemed to go with an unbelievable speed and the bus kept mounting the pavement, but it never hit anything, instead such things as lampposts or trash cans jumped out of its way. How that work, he certainly didn't know. He was sure all those things were perfectly Muggle. To make it worse, all those spells must not have worked so well _inside_ , because the passengers surely weren't as safe as the Muggle inventions. There wasn't even a seatbelt to keep them in place.

He has never entered the pub from the Muggle side, so he didn't know they were there until his grandmother stood up at the same time as the bus started to slow down. He nearly fell off when the Knight Bus stopped, even though he was still sitting. Out of nowhere the bald old man appeared and the teenagers followed him.

"Good morning, Professor McGonagall," they chorused as all four of them got off the bus. It was always strange to him, everyone recognizing his grandmother, but then, he guessed, at least ninety-five percent of Britain's magical population attended Hogwarts at one point, so it was kind of logical.

"Come along, Harry," she hurried him and he fastened his pace. All around people in Muggle attire looked at his grandmother with blank expression, probably founding her clothes strange. His grandma seemed to have noticed the mistake she has made, so they tried to get out of the prying eyes' sight as soon as possible.

"Here we are," his grandma pointed out the Leaky Cauldron. Harry has been inside of the pub before, so he had a general idea of it, but he still didn't notice it, before she pointed out. The Muggles all around seemed to have the same problem as well. Their eyes slid from a quite big bookstore on its left side to the record shop on its right as if the Leaky Cauldron didn't exist at all. Not that it was much of course; from the outside it was tiny and grubby-looking. Inside it was much better either, it was dark and shabby.

A buzz of chatter made the otherwise rundown place alive. Harry didn't recognize anyone outside of Tom, the old toothless walnut-like bartender, but his grandma as always seemed to know everyone and all these people obviously knew her too.

"Professor would ya' like something?" the bartender asked curiously already half-reaching for glasses.

"Sadly Tom, I am working during the holiday as well," she said with a polite smile and after a few greetings from a few other customers and inquires like 'How is my Mandy doing, professor?' and 'Have you heard, professor? My Andrew was accepted to the Healer training programme.' they were ready to head outside to the Alley. Harry was mostly quiet during these small talks. Most people who wanted to talk to his grandma didn't even seem to notice him, which in one way was a relief, but on the other hand he kind of felt invisible.

"Don't mind them, Harry. They are just a bit caught up in their lives," his grandma said when she noticed his expression as soon as they were outside by the trash cans. She didn't even need to count; she just tapped the bricks out of memory. It didn't quite surprise Harry though; she spent awfully lot of time on Diagon Alley. While there were Ministry officials who were ready to do the job of helping the Muggle-born parents, he knew well that his grandma liked doing it herself. He suspected that it had to do something with her own past and maybe even something with his mother.

"Isn't there a branch of Ollivanders in Hogsmeade?" he suddenly asked remembering that he has heard something along the lines once when his grandma and Uncle Al was talking about the magical village just outside of Hogwarts. She didn't turn around as she answered.

"An orphan Muggle-born would look a bit out of place there. Also, most think that their stock is lacking there," she added, though he had an inkling that the first part was the important piece of information. It made sense though – Hogwarts shopping and Diagon Alley was somehow associated over the hundreds of years. He suspected that even those who lived right in Hogsmeade made their journey to London to buy their school equipments.

The bricks she touched with the tip of her wand quivered and a small hole appeared which quickly grew wider. A second later it was so big that the two of them easily fit. They stepped through to the archway. As always he looked over his shoulder and watched as the archway shrink instantly back into a solid wall.

Harry didn't quite remember the first time he went to the magical shopping quarter of London. Since then though, he has been there at least once a year. However, it didn't matter; he was amazed by it every time. He was raised in a magical household, and also while his grandma and all his uncles were magical, he didn't exactly spend much time around so many witches and wizard in such a magical place. While their cottage was not far away from Hogsmeade even on foot, they mostly walked in different directions, they hardly entered the village. He had a feeling it had something to do with the whole Potter-McGonagall situation as well.

Diagon Alley was simply magical; there was no better expression with all those small shops full of special goods.

"Muggle-born," his grandma muttered under her breath and Harry understood immediately what she meant. He started looking around with wide eyes as someone during the first time would. He also started asking random questions he knew the answer to.

"Why the brooms? Do we need to clean Hogwarts ourselves?" he asked innocently and an amused smile appeared on his grandma's face.

"Don't worry, Mr Taylor, we have staff for that," she stated and then she started explaining Quidditch to Harry who found the entire conversation quite funny as he was a big fan of the sport himself. They made their way through the shops, occasionally once again being stopped by some parents or grandparents worrying for their children or wanting to share big pieces of news. Harry learned way too much during these conversations, he really didn't want to about people he has never even heard before.

He sighed in relief once they reached one of the last shops on the South Side. It was narrow and shabby just as he remembered it. He could never enter it before, but as long as he remembered he always sought it out knowing that this was the place where his life as a real wizard started – the place where he would get his magic wand. He glanced at the peeling gold letter over the door which made his heart beat faster, Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. As always a single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

"Whose wand is that in the window?" Harry asked curiously and his grandma stopped walking.

"I don't think that Mr Ollivander has ever answered that question. Many think that it's Merlin's. Some even believe that it belonged to one of the four founders of Hogwarts. Personally I believe it was simply one of the first wands that have been ever made by the Ollivander family. Even Professor Dumbledore doesn't remember ever seeing any other there and he has been around for a long time," she simply replied. Harry simply nodded and entered the shop after her. He had to admit that it was strange to hear his grandma refer to his uncle as Professor Dumbledore, though he knew that it was part of the whole act.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop once they entered the store. It was a rather tiny place, though he suspected that the serving part was a lot smaller than the storing place. Where they were now waiting only contained a single, spindly chair. He felt rather strange with the thousands of narrow boxes all around him. There was something different here than anywhere else – the very dust and the eerie silence seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

"Good afternoon," a soft voice called out. Harry jumped. His grandma didn't, she just stood there as a statue. He suspected that she has been caught in a situation like this before. He soon noticed the man who spoke. He was old with wide, pale eyes shining like moons. His eyes reminded Harry a lot of his Uncle Albus, though instead of blue, they were more of a silver colour.

"Hello," Harry awkwardly greeted the man. "I'm Henry Taylor," he added quickly.

"Mr Ollivander, nice to see you again," his grandma simply stated and the man turned towards her.

"Professor McGonagall, the pleasure is all mine. Nine-and-a-half inches, fir and dragon heartstring. A powerful wand, especially good for transfiguration, right?" His grandmother dutifully nodded with a polite smile.

"Exactly, good as always," she added. Harry found it a bit strange. Did the man remember all the wands he has ever sold? That seemed creepy in his opinion. Who had a memory like that?

"A Muggle-born student then?" He turned back towards Harry who nodded. "Oh, my favourite type. With magical parents, I always have some departure point. Every wizard and witch is different, just as every wand, but there is always something I can work with. With Muggle-borns I have to start from the very beginning." Harry shot a look at his grandma. Shouldn't they tell the truth? It might help to find his wand. However, his grandma seemed to be able to read his mind and she discretely shook her head.

"Well, now – Mr Taylor. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with strange silver markings out of one of his pockets. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Er – well, I'm right-handed," Harry pretended to not to know what he meant. After all, he suspected that a Muggle-born wouldn't know the expression.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then to elbow to wrist, from his shoulder to the floor, his knee to armpit and even around his head. Then he started on his speech Harry knew he loved. Every one of the stories he heard of wand choosing contained it. Not that he could tell Mr Ollivander that – he was supposed to be new to this world.

"Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr Taylor. The Ollivander family has been using unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers and dragon heartstrings for a long time. Though, of course there could be other possibilities as well. Still, as I have already mentioned, no Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And while a witch or a wizard can channel their magic with any wand, they will never get such a good result with any as they do with their own." Harry nodded along while he watched as the tape came alive and started measuring even stranger things such as the distance between his nostrils. Mr Ollivander was by the shelves now and he was taking down boxes.

"The most important rule of wandlore, Mr Taylor is that the wand chooses the wizard, not the other way around. Even now after thousands of years of studying and making wands we are not sure why, and while someone who studied the craft knows what to look out for, the ways of the wands are quite mysterious." He appeared by Harry with boxed in both of his hands.

"That will do," he said and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Mr Taylor, then. In which month were you born?" he asked with a calculative expression.

"End of July," he stated and Mr Ollivander nodded. He looked at his right hand first and then left and after a moment he opened one of the boxes.

"Right then, Mr Taylor. Try this one. Applewood, unicorn tail hair, ten inches. Nice and flexible." Harry took the wand, but he didn't exactly feel anything. Before he could even wave it Mr Ollivander snatched it out of his hand.

"Not applewood, then," he muttered. "Where are your parents, Mr Taylor?" he asked suddenly and Harry mumbled something along the line of being an orphan. That to his greatest surprise made Mr Ollivander rather happy.

"Maybe a hawthorn then," he said with a small smile. "Hawthorn, unicorn tail hair, nine inches." It turned out hawthorn wasn't the solution, because the moment it was in his hand Mr Ollivander shook his head.

"Ebony and unicorn hair, eight inches, springy. Go on, try it out."

Harry tried and tried. And tried. The pile of tried wands was getting higher and higher on the spindly chair and he was afraid that sooner or later it would all fall down. To his greatest surprise Mr Ollivander seemed to be only getting happier.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match." Harry indeed worried. He glanced at his grandma who was standing next to the chair with a thoughtful expression. She didn't seem really surprised or worried, but then again, maybe she just didn't want to frighten him.

"My, my. Maybe not unicorn. Dragon heartstring then," he muttered with a smile. Then he noticed Harry's expression. "Not to be afraid, Mr Taylor. Not one witch or wizard has ever left my store without a proper, fitting wand. And I do like a challenge," he added. Harry just nodded and took every wand he was given.

"Pine, dragon heartstring, eleven inches, quite whippy." Harry took it, but once again nothing happened. Harry noted that for a while only wands with dragon heartstring as a core was given to him.

"Holly, dragon heartstring, twelve inches, flexible." Mr Ollivander shoved another wand in his hands. For a moment Harry thought that this was it, he has felt something, but to his greatest surprise this wand was taken out of his hand as well as soon as he waved it. Though, he had to admit that nothing particular happened as he thought it would.

"Hm, interesting, rather interesting. I think neither of the two popular cores is just right for you, Mr Taylor. Phoenix feather is one of the rarest core types, they are rather picky. Vine, no... sycamore maybe. Try this one, phoenix feather, sycamore, ten inches." Harry took it and once again he thought that maybe, just maybe this was it. But of course, once again, for probably the hundredth time the wand was taken from him.

"Yes, phoenix, yes," Mr Ollivander muttered. "Mr Taylor, as I said someone with magic can use any wand. If it has been used by someone else before, if it chose someone, it's even harder to tame. None of these wands are like that, so quite a few reached out to you, but none of them so far is the One. Were you older and well-practiced in magical arts, buying another wand after yours was destroyed or something, I wouldn't have a problem with giving one of them to you. But at such a young age, _your_ wand needs to find you." Harry couldn't breathe. There was something in the way Mr Ollivander was talking, like he already knew the answer but he was afraid of it, which made Harry entirely nauseas. His grandma seemed to find this new monologue rather curious as well.

"Is there a problem, Mr Ollivander? I thought young Mr Taylor was only a challenging customer," she stated. The wandmaker hesitated which once again surprised Harry and he didn't like it one bit.

"I might have found the perfect wand for Mr Taylor, but it is a rather... odd combination. Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple," he stated and gave Harry another wand. The moment he took it, he felt sudden warmth in his fingers, much stronger than by any wand before even those he thought were his future ones. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework. Gryffindor colour, he thought proudly. His grandma clapped politely, but there was pride in her expression.

Harry felt a wave of happiness which quickly disappeared when he caught the expression of Mr Ollivander. The man was deadly white and looked at him as if he has just seen his greatest fear coming alive. He took the wand from Harry's hands and for a moment Harry though that this still wasn't it, but then without a word Mr Ollivander wrapped the box in brown paper, something he hasn't done before.

"Sir, is this my wand?" Harry asked softly, afraid of frightening the poor wandmaker even more. Obviously something upset the old man; Harry just didn't know what it could have been.

"It-it is, Mr Taylor. Rather surprising... Holly is a wood that varies most dramatically in performance depending on the wand core, and it is a notoriously difficult wood to team with phoenix feather, as the wood's volatility conflicts strangely with the phoenix's detachment," he said scientifically, though Harry had a feeling that this strange combination wasn't what upset Mr Ollivander so much.

"And does it have some meaning?" his grandmother asked curiously. Then Harry wasn't only imagining things, even in his grandma's opinion something was wrong with the wandmaker.

"Nothing and nobody should stand in the way of a wizard with such a wand," he said softly and faced Harry who felt uncomfortable under the pale stare. He shivered. "Seven Galleons, Mr Taylor." His grandma stepped forward and gave the required amount of money to Mr Ollivander. Harry wasn't sure how his grandma usually did the shopping with the Muggle-borns, but this didn't seem to surprise Mr Ollivander. Though, Harry had to admit that the wandmaker still seemed preoccupied.

"Mr Taylor, I hope you will never forget that there is more to magic than power," Mr Ollivander stated and Harry swallowed. He glanced at his grandma and her expression said all. This certainly wasn't something that Mr Ollivander told every Muggle-born.

"I-I will try, sir," he answered nervously. The pair said goodbye to Mr Ollivander who disappeared behind a pile of wands the moment they turned around and left the shop. Once they were outside Harry felt like he was once again able to breathe. His grandma had his new wand in a shopping bag which he offered to carry, though from the look he received his grandma knew exactly why he was so keen on helping.

"There is something wrong with the wand that has chosen me, isn't there?" he asked softly remembering the white face of the wandmaker. His grandma seemed troubled for a moment.

"I've noticed his hesitance as well, though I have to admit, I don't know much about wandlore." Harry sighed in disappointment.

* * *

Only a few hours later a letter arrived to the Headmaster's Office. Dumbledore opened the letter curiously, not recognizing the owl that brought it.

 _Professor Dumbledore,_

 _I write to let you know that it has happened. The brother wand has been sold to another orphan by the name of Henry Taylor. He came to me today with your Deputy Headmistress. He didn't seem to know anything about the wand and I didn't tell him about it either. Look out for him._

 _I didn't think that I'd be selling that wand – ever. If to anyone, maybe Harry Potter, but this is certainly not good news. We both know what the brother wand was capable of._

 _Yours,_

 _Garrick Ollivander_

Dumbledore leaned back in his seat. He wasn't entirely surprised, not after Harry was revealed to be a Parselmouth, but this turn of events certainly was quite foreboding. Poor Ollivander though, he thought that the next Dark Lord was just at his shop. He dearly hoped that it was quite the contrary.


	13. Five subjects

**Author's note: As always, thanks for being amazing and reading &following&favouriting this story.**

* * *

 **\- CHAPTER 13 -**

 **Five subjects**

* * *

Harry stepped out of the fireplace with his heart running wild. This was it – the moment he has been waiting for, for as long as he could remember. He was disappointed to learn that he wouldn't see the castle from the outside, but then came the realisation that he was going to be taught Herbology as well. He quickly got over his disappointment as the greenhouses were most probably outside, so if not now then in the close future he would see the magnificent castle. Plus, if he has learned anything from all the stories Uncle Remus and Sirius ever told him about the escapades of the Marauders, it was that getting away from teachers was easier and more fun than one would ever think.

Also, his Uncle Al's office was just too interesting not to notice and to be preoccupied with anything else. It was a large circular room with many windows and countless portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses. The office had also played host to a number of spindly tables upon which delicate looking silver instruments were set that whirred and emitted small puffs of smoke, as well as an incredible collection of books. Harry has grown up in Dumbledore Cottage where the living room and the library itself were full of old tones and yet he was astonished by the private collection in the office.

Harry was not surprised to spot Fawkes, his uncle's pet phoenix in his cage. While usually the phoenix resided in the Headmaster's Office, his uncle was frequently visited by the bird in their cottage as well, so Harry had the pleasure of meeting the phoenix. The magical pet raised his intelligent black eyes on Harry who in turn slowly raised his hand to pet the phoenix's crimson feather. He wasn't surprised that the bird was hot to touch, as Fawkes always seemed to radiate heat in his opinion. "Hey, there, Fawkes," he muttered to the bird while petting it.

"How does one get a phoenix as a pet?" he asked without turning around, knowing that his guardians were already behind them. He heard a faint chuckle and his uncle stepped right next to him to face the phoenix.

"I am afraid my dear boy, that it is a bit more complicated than going to a pet shop," he stated and Harry sighed. He kind of got that already as he has certainly never seen any in a shop. Not that he was surprised that his uncle didn't answer. His grandma always said that the Great Albus Dumbledore only answered questions he wanted to. It was one of his grandma's favourite ranting topics as well. "They are immensely independent creatures. Very few wizards have ever succeeded in domesticating them." Harry was taken aback that his uncle actually shared this piece of information with him, but wasn't exactly surprised that Uncle Al was among those exceedingly few. It seemed kind of fitting.

When Harry looked up he noticed that his grandma has arrived through the Floo Network as well. As always she was spotless, her hair was in a tight bun and her expression was serious, though when their eyes met, it softened and she smiled at him.

She stepped closer to the pair of them, but no pleasantries were exchanged. It was not surprising though as today he was supposed to be Henry Taylor and not McGonagall, so she wasn't even his aunt let alone his grandma at the moment. Why this play was needed again, he most certainly did not know, but if he questioned, he would only get the whole 'you will understand when you are older' talk, something he has heard one too many times already.

Knocking. Harry turned towards the oaken double door and his heart started running wild once again. He has never met any of the other three Head of Houses before. Now to think of, he only spent time around Gryffindors since he has been born. His parents, his grandma, all of his uncles, the Weasleys and as far he knew even the Longbottoms were in the house of lions. It was actually a rather interesting thought – how different were the Head of House of Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff than his own grandma or his Uncle Al, the previous Head of Gryffindor? Not that it really mattered as Uncle Sirius and his grandma were hardly anything alike, though they were both in the same house during their schooling, so obviously houses didn't mean that much. It was actually a funny though – his grandma with his godfather's personality. That would be a sight he wished to see.

"Come in," Uncle Al happily supplied, something which did not surprise Harry at all, because his uncle had a tendency to react with happiness to _everything_. According to his grandma, it was actually a rather annoying habit, but Harry found it a way of positive thinking. He liked the idea of looking at the World with enthusiasm instead of boredom or anger. The door opened just as his uncle closed his mouth and three completely different people appeared in the office – two wizards and a witch. The witch had to be Pomona Sprout, the Head of Hufflepuff (simply because he knew that other than his own grandma, she was the only female Head of House). She was a squat little witch with short, grey, wavy hair and a smile on her face, which made her somewhat dirty and unkempt appearance friendly and natural instead of scary and repulsing. She was most certainly the type who did not care much about her appearance, especially when there was work to be done.

While only moments before he decided that the houses didn't mean much, Harry had to admit that he could distinguish the two wizards easily without ever meeting them before. One was a thin man with sallow skin, a large, hooked nose and yellow, uneven teeth. He was dressed in flowing black robes and he had shoulder-length, greasy black hair which framed his face in curtains, curling lips and dark eyes that resembled tunnels. Without a question he knew that this was Severus Snape, the Potions master and Head of Slytherin.

The other man was distinguishingly short. Harry had an inkling that somewhere in the wizard's ancestry there was some small creature, something along the line of a goblin. He had a shock of white hair and he wore green robes. He also had a smile on his face and seemed rather excited to be in the office contrary to the other wizard, who probably wanted to be anywhere else. On first impression, Harry liked Filius Flitwick a lot more than Severus Snape. The Charms professor in his opinion was rather – er, charming.

"Ah, everyone is here. It's nice to see you, Pomona, Filius and Severus," his uncle nodded towards the newcomers. His grandma shared his uncle's sentiments, while he was standing there rather awkwardly and feeling a bit out of place – after all, he has never met any of his guardians' colleagues before, so he wasn't sure how to behave around the three new faces. While he spent a lot of time around adults, most were in his life for us long as he could remember, so those interactions didn't give him much experience with this situation. He also went to school and had teachers, but those were Muggles, so different approach was expected, he guessed.

"And this is Henry Taylor, just as we have discussed it," his uncle added. Harry once again scowled lightly at the name. This time his appearance wasn't changed, but as he was to continue his education through the school year (on weekends), it was decided that he was to behave like a normal student if anyone spotted him or questioned his identity. He was to play a first year (who was of course a bit smaller than most).

"Just as you mentioned Minerva, very fine young man," Professor Sprout beamed and Harry flushed. This was something that has happened before, ladies telling his grandma how 'fine' he was when they first saw him, but it still made him a bit embarrassed. Though, he had to admit that the Herbology professor seemed nice enough. "Nice to meet you, Mr Taylor, I am Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff."

"T-Thank you ma'am," he muttered. "It's nice to meet you too." To his greatest surprise Professor Flitwick rushed then forward and took his hand and shook it enthusiastically. The man was hardly taller than him, so it was a rather funny scene in Harry's opinion.

"Ah, Mr Taylor, what a pleasure. I do hope that you will find my subject, Charms, fascinating. Albus also said that you might be interested in duelling later. Finest sport in my opinion, a noble one at that with spectacular history," he stated while continuing beaming. Harry couldn't stop himself from smiling either. "The pleasure is mine," he added and he actually meant it. It was hard not to like the short professor in his opinion.

Harry turned towards the last teacher he has yet to be introduced to, but the smile on his face quickly disappeared. Professor Snape obviously watched the scene with disdain, he had a permanent scowl on his rather youthful face and instead of approaching Harry he seemed to have stepped back.

"Professor," Harry nodded towards the youngest teacher, who had to be around the same age as his Uncle Remus and Sirius. "Thank you for teaching me in the future." He guessed that if this introduction happened in three years, on his first week at Hogwarts he would have been simply following the footsteps of the professor and be rude and distant, but the man who obviously wanted to do something else during his summer and weekends was ready to teach him instead. The wizard most probably accepted the plus work, because he was asked by the headmaster, but still. Also, Harry was right in the vision of his grandma and he wasn't about to be impolite with her being around – he knew for sure that he would hear no end to that. There was a reason why his grandma was known as the strict teacher at Hogwarts (though at least the word 'fair' was usually added to the description).

"My pleasure, Mr _Taylor_ ," Professor Snape said with something along the line of sarcasm in his voice. Harry also had a feeling that his fake family name was emphasized for a reason. Did Professor Snape find this whole not-Potter-not-even-McGonagall-thing just as strange as Harry did? Because then that would explain the non-welcoming reaction of the Potions master. Or maybe the professor just found the exceptional situation unfair. After all, how many could say that they were to be taught by the Head of Houses and the Headmaster of Hogwarts three years before they were even accepted to the school? While Harry was of course very excited about it, in a way he did feel it unfair himself, especially as his friends couldn't come with him and they didn't even know what was going on.

He imagined how each of them would react. Hermione would be running around with some book and mutter all the spells she has ever heard of and their usage. She would be terrified that she was not enough, panicking about things she didn't know (not that there were much) but she would be all hyped up. Ron would look at Harry with big eyes and exclaim loudly: 'Bloody hell, mate!' Neville on the other hand would be terrified; he would be petrified as well and when asked he would only be able to stutter.

Harry was not like any of his friends. While he most certainly did not like the reason of why he was treated exceptionally and hated the whole 'Mr Henry Taylor' identity, he was of course excited about learning magic. While he has grown up in a magical household, he only caught a few spells here and there (the fact that most of his family members did magic silently did not help). Also, he was advised against reading about magical theory as long as he was not taught. Most probably, because his grandma feared that he once opened a textbook he wouldn't be as patient as Hermione and would do anything to try it in reality as well. (Like accidentally taking the wand of one of his uncle. Accidentally, of course only.)

"Now, now, as we discussed young Mr Taylor is to be taught five subjects. That is of course not all what is taught in our school, but I believe most of you would agree with me that these are the most important for someone like our youngest student. Obviously those would be the main expertise of those who are attending at the moment," Uncle Albus said with an excited smile once Harry's attention wondered back to the present. He hoped he actually didn't miss out on any piece of information.

"Isn't your main expertise the same as Minerva's, Albus? That makes it four, not five," the Herbology professor pointed out, though in Harry's opinion it was a quite stupid question. From all the mumbling and ranting of his grandma he knew for sure that his uncle was most certainly not only talented in one subject. According to his grandma actually his uncle was annoyingly good in all fields of magic and the only reason why he taught Transfiguration and not any of the other lessons was that back at the time they needed a teacher for that. Harry wasn't sure about that, because once he asked Uncle Al and he stated that the subject he taught was in fact his favourite, but there must have been a reason why she insisted on her own theory.

"Minerva is of course going to teach Mr Taylor Transfiguration, she is the current professor after all, it has been a while for me. However, as you see we are missing a Defence teacher, so that's going to be my new expertise. I admit I have never taught it myself, but I believe to be capable of teaching the basics." At that all the teachers attending shared a look that Harry most certainly caught. He guessed, they must have agreed, or found the part about 'basics' a bit funny. "With how we tend to change teachers every year, I'm hardly sure to ask our current professor. This is a rather delicate situation after all as we have already discussed. Not something I would like to repeat year after year to teachers I've just met. There are few whom I trust as much as the here presented after all."

"If you can't teach it yourself, I am always at you service, Albus," Professor Snape sneered and his uncle humoured the younger man.

"Very nice of you Severus, but I'm afraid your services as Potion master are still needed. Mr Taylor should not only be able to use his wand after all." The Potions professor merely nodded at that with a sneer. Shortly Uncle Al turned towards Harry and continued talking. "Now, now, Mr Taylor, you are to be taught constantly during the remaining summer holiday and then from September, during the weekends." Harry nodded in acknowledgement. It was a somewhat interesting and frightening idea – using up his entire holiday for learning and then during school time his weekends. He was hardly going to see his friends except maybe for Hermione with whom he attended primary school. While magic was obviously more fun than Maths, he wasn't sure that he liked his new lesson plan, it sounded a bit too full for his taste.

"As I told you all," this time Uncle Al was speaking to all four of the Heads and not to him, Harry concluded, "I want you to teach the basics of each of your subjects in details. Try to emphasize the parts which are not going to come up in enough details once Mr Taylor attends the school as a first year. I want him to have a wider field of vision when it comes to these subjects than is normal or acceptable according to the curriculum."

"Oh, yes, this way Mr Taylor might actually pass his first year exam," Professor Snape added. He crossed his arms and for a moment his eyes met Harry's and there was such an intensity of emotions in them that Harry was surprised. Was that hatred? Also, while Harry was actually grateful that the man in question would teach him when it wasn't exactly in his job description (Harry was yet to become a Hogwarts student after all), he didn't exactly like the way the man was talking about him.

He supposed he was hardly as enthusiastic when it came to schoolwork like some people (for example Hermione), but this was magic. He was most certainly interested in the subjects. Not to mention that he was in fact far from a bad student. He had a feeling that even without these plus lessons; he would be able to pass his exams. Uncle Sirius always told him that during the first years he has hardly studied and yet he always passed with flying scores. At that of course his grandma scoffed and told his godfather to stop saying such nonsense and that he wasn't suppose to encourage Harry of _not_ studying, but Harry was pretty sure that his godfather wasn't lying.

"Ah, Severus, I merely meant that I want you all to show the depth of your field to young Mr Taylor. I know for fact that all the here represented professors are real experts of their subjects and have an undeniable passion for it, so show him." Harry studied the other three Heads including his grandma. Professor Sprout and Flitwick were rather excited by the speech his uncle has just given, obviously already thinking of ways to show him the beauty of Herbology and Charms while his grandma was in fact slightly rolling her eyes, though he noticed a small smile she was hiding. His grandma liked to deny, but Harry always knew that she was fond of his uncle's pep talks.

"Yes, Severus, don't be such a spoilsport," Professor Sprout stated with a wide grin. "What would your little snakes say to such behaviour?" Harry watched the conversation between the adults with curiosity.

"Little snakes, really Pomona?" he simply asked while Harry's grandma added matter-of-factly. "They would think that he is in character."

"Children, play nicely," Uncle Al said and now all four of the Head of Houses looked at the eldest with an intense look. Harry felt a bit strange, like he wasn't supposed to be there at all. It seemed that most of the adults presented even forgot about the fact that he was around. At the thought, he automatically stepped closer to his grandma, who put an arm around him, not even caring that he was supposed to be Henry Taylor and not McGonagall. Usually he would scoff that he was old for such treatment, but not at that moment. He caught the eyes of the Herbology professor who found his automatic shift obviously cute and he was sure that she was close to gushing over the fact how cute he was, (which was something most eight-year-old boys, such grown-ups already, didn't like very much.)

"Who do you call a child, Albus?" Professor Snape asked with an incredulous expression.

"I think we should go back to the original topic. Lessons. I've already made a lesson plan; I hope you will all agree to it." At that with a flick of his wand while he turned towards his desk, a few papers folded themselves into birds and they flew in the direction of the Head of Houses and Harry. All four of the Heads had their wands in their hands and easily guided the paper bird to themselves, while Harry caught it in his hands. He unfolded it curiously, though he had to admit that he found the bird kind of pretty and hated that he had to ruin it. He was most certainly going to ask his uncle to teach him that spell.

 _Summer_

Monday: Charms - Prof. Flitwick

Tuesday: Transfiguration - Prof. McGonagall

Wednesday: Herbology - Prof. Sprout

Thursday: Potions - Prof. Snape

Friday: Defence Against the Dark Arts - Prof. Dumbledore

 _School year_

Friday: Defence Against the Dark Arts - Prof. Dumbledore

Saturday:

1, Charms - Prof. Flitwick

2, Transfiguration - Prof. McGonagall

Sunday:

1, Herbology - Prof. Sprout

2, Potions - Prof. Snape

Harry wasn't sure what to think, he had to admit that while all week he was so excited that he was probably making his grandma crazy, he felt frightened now that it was all coming true. His friends were talking about Hogwarts as a far away plan and yet it was happening right now for him.

"Ah, it's my turn then," Professor Flitwick said enthusiastically. Harry wondered if the short Charms teacher was able to be anything, but enthusiastic. He grabbed Harry's arm and started pulling him towards the door. "Come, come it's Charms-time." The new student looked at his grandma with surprise and he was sure that he looked at least a bit frightened, but his grandma just nodded with a smile.

"Just go, Mr Taylor." Merlin, what was even going on? That moment as strange as it seemed, he had a feeling that he would have preferred Professor Snape and his obvious distaste. Maybe there was such a thing as too much enthusiasm. He was rather curious how his lessons would turn out after such a first meeting.


	14. Familiar eyes

**Author's note: Hey! Once again I'm back and I'm happy to say that only maximum 4 more chapters are from this story and then we are off to Year 1. Probably those few chapters are going to be up soon! :)**

 **It's not easy to write from Snape's point of view so I hope he wasn't very OOC. Also, this Harry is different from canon!Harry, don't forget that. McGonagall obviously encouraged him to learn and without other students around it's not like Harry could see that he receives 'special' treatment from Snape.**

 **As always, thanks for being amazing and reading &following&favouriting this story. Special thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter: _anyeshabaner_ ; _SIRIUSBLACKHEIR_ ; _Dobby99_ ; _roni2010_.**

* * *

 **–** **CHAPTER 14 –**

 **Familiar eyes**

* * *

Severus Snape was leaning against one of the three cauldrons before him watching with caution as the one on his right was turning colour while at the same time slowly stirring the one on his left with his wand clockwise and looking out for the middle one, which only needed some more time boiling.

Footsteps echoed the empty corridors of the Dungeons. It was summer time so his snakes were away, causing trouble at home instead of Hogwarts. Very few teachers would come here, all of them had their classrooms and private quarters and even the staff room elsewhere. If they ever came it was in fact for him. So he straightened and looked in the direction of the classroom's door which in a moment opened (without a knock, might he add).

His mind only needed a second to absorb the new information and make the logical connection – Minerva was standing in the door frame with that brat right next to her. It was Thursday, his first lesson with the aforementioned brat. His gaze shifted automatically to the clock, and scoffed when he noted that the bane of his existence was early.

"Have you ever heard of punctuality, Potter?" he asked venomously.

"Severus," Minerva hissed, but it didn't actually make Severus feel bad, simply because he was used to his ex-teacher who was now his colleague. To be honest even when he was in school Minerva's disappointment didn't have any effect on him.

"It's _Taylor_ , sir," the brat added matter-of-factly and Severus' lips twitched in absurd amusement. Oh, yes, the Golden Boy was just too good to have one name. He of course understood the need for secrecy and security measurements. If anyone in this school understood the ways of the Dark Lord and his Death Eater minions, it was him – he was one of those puppies at one time after all. Still, what to expect from a child of Potter who was brought up as the Saviour of the Wizarding World?

James Potter was bad enough as James Potter – his family while considered pureblood, not even part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight for (mostly) political reasons. He was rich, but only because of his talented potioneer father. Harry Potter on the other hand was brought up as the Boy-Who-Lived and Defeater of the Dark Lord (which was absurd in Severus's point of view, especially as he knew of Lily's sacrifice. _Lily_...) There was in no way that this child (even if he was Lily's son as well) was any better than his father. The only reason Severus was not about to send him as far away from him as possible was that manipulative old coot.

"Ah, Mr _Taylor_ , how nice of you to grace me with your presence," he sneered and noted Minerva's disapproving gaze, not that it bothered him at all, especially not when it came to Potter's brat.

"It's your turn Severus," Minerva simply stated and with a simple gesture she encouraged Potter to enter the classroom. Not bothering to pay any attention to them, he turned back to the cauldrons only to note that thanks to their lack of punctuality, two of the three potions were ruined. One was not clear enough by this point while the other turned to a disturbingly blood red instead of orange. With a sigh he cleared away those potions with a flick of his wand and stopped the heating under the third one, deciding that it was ready. When he looked up he had to take a step back in shock because big green eyes were disturbingly close to him.

"Taylor, stay away from me," he growled and with an apologetic half-smile Potter took a few steps backwards as well, while Minerva nodded in agreement with him.

"Shouldn't you be leaving, Minerva?" Severus asked after a moment of silence in which he studied the Potter brat who was clearly impressed by his classroom. In a way there was a chance that a boy was not a complete failure when it came to Potions – after all Lily was amazing in it and he had to admit that even on his paternal side there were a few talents, most recently the brat's grandfather.

"I'm not sure that leaving is a good idea," Minerva stated firmly looking at him with her light green eyes which showed much determination. In a way he wasn't exactly surprised when he was told that his Lily was Minerva's daughter. While the colouring wasn't exactly right – Lily's eyes were a darker and brighter shade of green and her hair lighter and redder; not only in behaviour, but in appearance they had similarities. While he liked bantering with Minerva, sometimes he liked to be as far as possible from her – Lily's ghost haunted him with her around.

One look at the brat and he knew it was even worse with him. Severus was told that this was not the boy's real appearance, that his hair was supposed to be black and his eyes just like his mother's. But even as he was now, the boy was the copy of his father – same face, same habitude and that annoying hair that seemed to have its own will. But his eyes, they were really the same almond shape, which made Severus look away once their eyes met. He wondered how he would have reacted if the first time of seeing the boy, the brat wasn't transfigured. Worse, he supposed. Potter's and Lily's son – why was the fate so cruel to him?

"This is my classroom, my rules, Minerva," Severus pointed out firmly. In no way was he to teach the brat with her around, that would be simply torture.

"And that is my gra-," she started, but then she anxiously looked around as if she thought that someone was listening. Severus scoffed at the idea – everyone, even the Ministry thought that Potter was living in the Muggle world, only knowing about the magical one through Petunia's explanation and most importantly no one even knew of the biological link between the Transfiguration professor and the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Just leave Minerva," he simply stated already feeling exhausted at the prospect of spending not only seven, instead ten years with the brat. Minerva seemed rather hesitant.

"Will you be alright Harry?" she asked softly the boy who nodded.

"It's okay, really," he simply said and smiled reassuringly at his grandmother, which reminded Severus of another Potter's smile which always seemed to charm the Gryffindor Head of House. This boy was just like that one, he was sure.

"Severus, I want to only hear the best of you," she warned him with that look so many of the students feared. Not that he was ever among those.

"Of course," he muttered somewhat sarcastically. Once again Minerva hesitated to leave.

"Just go already," he said with a sigh and she nodded. As she exited the room, Severus noted that she once again anxiously turned back as if she wanted to make sure that he had yet to kill the brat. As tempting as the idea was, Severus did in fact promise to make sure the brat lived and was safe, and because of Lily he wasn't about to break his word. She would never ever forgive him for finishing off her son, he was sure of that.

He noted that while he was paying attention to Minerva, the brat took place in the first row in one of the desks. He rolled his eyes at the sight – the boy was too small and the room was too empty, he seemed very much out of place, and he was in fact, Severus noted. While he understood while this was needed, no matter the blood protection, Severus knew that many Death Eaters were still around waiting for the comeback of their master, it still made his blood boil that this brat was receiving such special treatment.

"Potter," he said coolly only to receive the smart-ass correction of 'Taylor' again.

"Whatever," Severus replied without a care. There were not even portraits around in this classroom and as it was his own territory, he made sure it was always protected by magic. He saw no reason to be paranoid here of all places, not that he was going to tell that to Potter, so he accepted the correction. Plus, in a way he guessed, he might have even liked it. While Potter still looked too much like his father, with the different hair-colour and his young age, it was not that conspicuous. Maybe if he thought of him as Taylor, it would be easier for him to teach the brat.

"Taylor, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Severus asked suddenly. He didn't think that the brat would have any idea, but he needed to show him who was the boss here. He had a pretty good idea that the brat – no, _Taylor_ – was used to being treated as someone special (the fact that he was having a lesson at the age of eight at Hogwarts, just proved his point), so he needed to teach him a lesson and not just about potions.

The boy looked stunned by the question directed at him.

"I-I don't know, sir. I have never even seen a potion being made. I guess my aunt and uncle just got them from Hogwarts or from Diagon Alley," the brat answered thoughtfully.

"Tut, tut – being _special_ clearly isn't everything." He was of course not surprised by the brat's revelation.

"I didn't ask to be _special_ , sir." To his surprise the brat said the word 'special' with the same disdain.

"Let's try again. Taylor, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" he asked.

"Am I not here to learn that and more?" Severus was asked. Then as an afterthought the brat added: "Sir."

"Taylor, this is _my_ class, which means that my rules are valid. Weren't you the one who thanked me for teaching you when it wasn't even in my job description?" Which at the time, may he add, indeed surprised Severus. The boy was silent for a moment with a thoughtful expression on his face (which in fact reminded Severus of Lily, Potter never needed a look like that), and then to Severus's surprise he nodded.

"You are right, sir. It just seemed pointless when I could simply tell you that I have no previous knowledge of your subject. My relatives agreed that I had no need for magical tutoring until I was old enough for being here," he replied and Severus was stunned to realize that what the boy said actually had some merit. Not that he was to tell that to the brat.

"Well, then what do you know of this subject, Taylor?" he asked.

"It's different from other Hogwarts subjects, right? I mean to make potions we don't need a wand," he said.

"That's a common mistake, Taylor. While in fact there is little foolish wand-waving in Potions class, there is always some element of wandwork necessary to make a potion. So, would a Muggle be able to make one?" he questioned his only current student. After only a second or so the brat shook his head.

"No, sir. Or not alone at least. They wouldn't be able to handle a wand, that's the difference between a wizard and a Muggle after all, Muggles don't have the magic for it." Severus nodded in agreement.

"Correct. For most potions rather basic wand movements are enough – nothing as spectacular as one would need for Charms or Transfiguration class. Still, it's an important part. Would Muggles be able to use already brewed potions?"

"Magic is only needed to make them, right, so I guess, yes. Though, wouldn't a few behave differently?" the brat asked curiously.

"You are in fact right. There are a few, for example a potion against magical exhaustion that logically for a person without magic wouldn't work the same way as it does for one with it." Severus was surprised that the boy seemed to be actually thinking.

"Now, why else is potion making different from other breaches of magic?" he asked the boy simpler questions now, ones which only needed some logic and not real potion-making experience or knowledge.

"Well, it uses ingredients, like cooking," the brat offered and Severus nodded, though he never liked that simile. He was _not_ cooking.

"That's right. What type of ingredients? You said that it's similar to cooking," he scoffed at the word, "so why is the product of cooking let's say a soup, but you brew potions?"

"For potions we use magical ingredients – like plants Professor Sprout teaches in Herbology?" the brat asked.

"When asked a question, answer, don't just ask your own question," Severus instructed. The boy – no, brat, – he corrected himself automatically (after all, this was Potter's son, the devil's spawn himself) nodded.

"So, for potions we use magical plants as ingredients," he corrected himself which surprised Severus, because he would have thought that the brat was going to throw a fit and he wouldn't follow the class's rules.

"Half credit only. For your information, while in fact many of the ingredients to potions are plants with magical properties, parts of magical beasts are used just as often." The brat nodded and to Severus's surprise he took out a piece of parchment to take notes of what was being discussed. "What else?"

"While potion making we follow a recipe?" the brat asked. "I remember Uncle Remus showing me a potion book; it looked just like a Muggle cooking book, one I've used while baking a cake with the Grangers." Severus crossed his arms in front of him and scowled.

"Pot – Taylor, whatever you are called. You are in Potions class, _my_ class; I don't really care about your experiences in the Muggle world if it's not directly connected to what I asked. Did I ask you where you baked a cake?" he questioned dangerously lowly the brat, whose eyes widened. It wasn't precisely needed most probably; he guessed that if Minerva was there he would be in trouble for the tone he was talking to the brat, but if the brat wanted to survive the next ten years without at least being maimed in this class, then he needed to learn to behave.

"N-no, sir," he muttered as a reply, which surprised Severus. Potter would have never just accepted a teacher's rules like that. "I'm sorry. What I meant is that there is a recipe." Severus noted then with a flick of his wand he guided the chalk to write a basic recipe on the board.

"Can I ask a question, sir?" the brat asked which made Severus roll his eyes.

"You just did," he snapped, but then he controlled his urges to say anything else bad. No matter who his father was, this was an eight-year-old and this was his first lesson, not to mention that Severus did accept the task of teaching him outside of normal Hogwarts classes. "Always raise your hand first and only speak when I tell you to." This time the brat raised his right hand, and Severus sighed – this was going to be a long lesson, he already knew.

"Yes, Taylor?" he gestured for the boy to ask.

"How do they come up with the recipe? I mean I get that there is a potion against – I don't know, throwing up – and there is a description of how to make that, but where did that description come from?" the brat asked curiously which surprised Severus. He kind of assumed that his youngest student would just learn what he was told to and that was all. He never would have thought that the devil's spawn would be actually interested in his class.

"It's the same as the recipes in that cook book you mentioned. Based on previous researches and a lot of attempts, potion masters come up with better and better prescriptions. Many Hogwarts students don't like Potions for that exact reason – you have to learn at what temperature in which direction to stir your cauldron and so on, because it could be even lethal to do it wrongly. To many it is pure data you have to learn without understanding what's behind it. The sad thing is that as Hogwarts is in a way under the watchful eyes of the Ministry we have to follow the curriculum they state and there is simply not enough time to teach the students the logic of the steps of the recipe. That's why we are here now. For a while you won't make any potions, you are simple going to learn _how_ to make one." Severus was pretty sure that the brat wouldn't exactly understand what he has just said, but he didn't really care. He wasn't just in the mood to speak _child_. (Yes, in his opinion that was a language, a rather tiresome one at that.)

The brat indeed looked confused, which made Severus already grimace. He just didn't want to answer stupid questions. He raised his hand, which actually surprised the potion master. He was rather sure that the brat would forget the rule by then.

"Yes, Taylor?"

"That's not logical at all from the Ministry. I mean I've been told that those who learn the basic steps of cooking can easily make anything without a cook book, because the steps are simply repeated in particular orders. So, wouldn't it just make everything easier to learn the steps?" The insight of the boy was surprising. It sounded just like something Lily would say and not Potter, the traitorous part of his mind pointed out.

"Indeed, that's right. That is the reason I don't want to see you near a cauldron for at least another year. First we are going to speak about the ingredients, but just in generality, because most will be taught in different classes, mostly in Herbology and if you take the elective in third year then in Care of Magical Creatures. Then we will move onto the methods – such as the difference between the preparations of diverse ingredients or the importance of the temperature. And only when I see that you actually understand the theory behind potions will you even see one." Most of his students actually hated the theory even more than just randomly learning the recipe of a potion so the excited expression on the brat's face was unusual.

"Why are you so eager?" Severus pretty much blurted out. It was not something he would usually do, but this was Potter's spawn. It was simply strange and disorientating to see the brat being excited to learn from him Potions. In moments like this it was hard to just think of him as _Taylor_ , someone he had no history with or even to think of the brat as the spawn of Potter. The excitement on his face to learn something new was just so... _Lily_. While the colour was the wrong shade eleven-year-old Lily Evans had the same expression on her first Potions lesson.

The brat seemed pretty surprised by the question. He simply shrugged, but then when he received a glare, he looked apologetically at him and had an explanation.

"Is it okay to say something personal now, sir?" he asked for permission which was just so not Potter that the name Taylor seemed to fit the kid better at that moment.

"Go ahead," he prompted.

"We – my friend Hermione and I – had a great fun baking a cake with her mother, but I liked it even more when she actually told us why we did those steps. It was kind of amazing how you can explain why from some flour and egg and all you get a cake. I guess potions is like that, but with so many different effects it can have, it's even more interesting than cooking and baking," the brat explained with far more maturity than Severus would have ever expected from Potter's eight-year-old spawn.

"Then, I think we should just get on with the first lesson, shall we?" he asked and the brat nodded already leaning forwards with the quill in hand as if he didn't want to fall behind with a letter. With that much eagerness for learning he could have been a Ravenclaw, which was something that could have never been said about Potter even if he was made Head Boy. Then again, he supposed the brat did grow up in a household with Minerva and Albus, the Deputy and the Headmaster who were while both in Gryffindor, could have easily fit into Ravenclaw.

When the time was up, and Minerva anxiously entered the classroom (once again without even knocking, irritating Severus a lot) she seemed surprised that his grandson was still in one piece. (Which was of course not that surprising even if Severus was alone with a Potter, because of his promise to Dumbledore, but then again she didn't know about that.)

"Thank you for the lesson, Professor Snape," the brat stated while packing up his parchments (on which he diligently took notes during the entire lecture). "I enjoyed it very much." That one sentence took Severus by so much surprise he didn't even hear Minerva's reaction to it.

He looked down to the little boy – because really, the brat was just eight – and looked into the familiar eyes and one name echoed in his mind: _Lily_ , _Lily_ , _Lily_.

"Just go, Taylor," he snapped and with a cheeky smile the brat said good bye and added how they were to see each other again next week – exactly what Severus didn't need. He shook his head once the brat exited the classroom with Minerva who once again looked back, this time at him and gave him a rare smile.


End file.
